Since it was opened in 1960, Dubai International Airport, DXB, has welcomed nearly one billion travelers, becoming one of the world's busiest airports, said the airport operator Dubai Airports in a statement on the occasion of the 58th birthday anniversary of the airport.

“Today, 58 years and 974,461,017 customers later, DXB is the world’s busiest international airport and an aviation brand loved and respected around the world. Here’s to Dubai’s visionary leadership and decades of collaboration, commitment and service,'” Dubai Airports added.

'”When Dubai opened a tiny terminal building and an 1,800-foot-long compacted sand runway 58 years ago on September 30, 1960, nobody realized that it was the first step in what was to become one of the most inspiring journeys in aviation history,” the statement added.

Passenger numbers have grown at an annual average growth rate of more than 13% to 65 million. The airport, connecting more than 260 destinations across six continents on more than 140 airlines, is projected to serve over 90 million passengers in 2018.

DXB’s world-class facilities include the US$1.2 billion Concourse D, a state-of-the-art facility serving all international airlines that operate into Terminal 1; Concourse A – the world’s first and largest purpose-built A380 facility that is one of the three Concourses used exclusively by Emirates airline, as well as Terminal 2. Expansions for 2020 will cost US$ 7.8 billion.