Aviation and defence leaders will converge on Dubai World Central as Dubai Airshow 2025 opens its trade programme on Monday 17 November 2025, with official hours from 10:00 to 17:30 at the dedicated Dubai Airshow Site. The biennial show anchors a full week of aerospace announcements, aircraft debuts and high level networking across five consecutive days. Organisers expect more than a thousand exhibitors, hundreds of aircraft on display and tens of thousands of professional visitors from every major aviation market. The opening Monday sets the tone, as delegations move between exhibition halls, flight line and conference theatres to map out their week. Trade visitors can enter the Dubai Airshow on Monday 17 November from 10:00 to 17:30 at the DWC Airshow Site.
History and scale of Dubai Airshow
Dubai Airshow has grown from a regional gathering into one of the world’s largest aerospace trade events, now staged every two years at a purpose built venue in Dubai World Central. Recent previews highlight headline figures of more than 1,500 exhibitors, over 200 aircraft and around 80,000 professional attendees expected across the week. The show mixes commercial aviation, defence, business jets, space, advanced air mobility and support services on a single site. Therefore companies use it as a launchpad for new aircraft, systems and partnerships that will shape fleets for the coming decade. Because of this scale, even experienced visitors often need a clear plan for how to use each day.
Trade opening day schedule on Monday
On Monday 17 November, the trade exhibition opens at 10:00 and closes at 17:30, giving visitors a compact but intense first day. Morning hours usually focus on opening ceremonies, senior briefings and early press conferences in the main halls. As the day moves into afternoon, attention often shifts outside to the static aircraft park and the daily flying displays, which showcase everything from commercial airliners to fighter jets, aerobatic teams and cargo aircraft. Meanwhile, conference tracks and briefing zones run in parallel inside the halls, covering subjects such as sustainability, space, defence technology and advanced air mobility. If you want to see both conferences and flying displays on the Monday, you should plan your timetable carefully across the 10:00 to 17:30 window.
Who can attend and what are the age limits?
Organisers describe Dubai Airshow 2025 as a business trade show that is open to industry professionals only, with registration and proof of professional status required at the time of booking. Official guidance notes that individuals under 16 are not eligible to attend the main trade exhibition, and wider rules emphasise that there are no childcare facilities on site. Under 18s are instead directed to the separate Skyview grandstand area, where the public can watch flying displays from a dedicated viewing zone next to the exhibition. Dress codes call for business attire, uniforms or national dress, reflecting the formal nature of the event. In practice this makes the trade show suitable for solo business travellers and corporate teams rather than families, and effectively trade only and not suitable for children.
Ticket prices and registration in AED
Ticket information for 2025 lists an experience pass that covers all five show days, with a standard rate of 299 dollars including VAT, which equates to approximately 1,100 AED per person at prevailing exchange rates. Early bird offers cut that number down, while one day passes and other options sit closer to about 290 to 370 AED depending on the package. These passes generally include access to exhibition halls, static aircraft display, conference sessions, flying displays, the Skyview public zone and new features such as the Wellness Zone and Airshow After Dark on the Tuesday evening. Group bookings for larger teams give additional savings, which many airlines, airports and suppliers use to bring wider staff groups. Because ticket structures can change as promotions open or close, you should treat all quoted figures as approximately and recheck the latest AED rates during registration.
Inside the Dubai Airshow Site
The Dubai Airshow Site at DWC is laid out so that visitors move between modern exhibition halls, conference rooms and the open air static aircraft park in a loop. Exhibitors inside the halls cover aircraft manufacturers, engine builders, avionics and interiors specialists, MRO providers, defence contractors, cargo operators and technology firms. Outside on the apron, you will find airliners, business jets, helicopters, military aircraft and special mission platforms lined up for close inspection by invited guests and media. Meanwhile, new feature zones such as the Inspiration Zone and Wellness Zone create quieter pockets where delegates can attend focused sessions or recharge between meetings. Comfortable footwear is strongly recommended, because even a single day on site involves significant walking across halls, tarmac and shuttle stops.
Getting there from Dubai city
The Dubai Airshow Site sits next to Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, in the south of the emirate and some distance from the traditional city centre. Organisers state that all visitors must park at Al Maktoum Airport’s designated parking, where a dedicated Park and Ride shuttle operates continuously to the exhibition and Skyview entrances from 07:00 to 19:00, extended to 21:00 on the Tuesday. Additionally, a shuttle runs in a loop between Expo City Metro Station on the Red Line extension and the airshow site, allowing visitors from areas such as Dubai Marina, Business Bay and Deira to combine metro and bus rather than drive. Taxis from central Dubai to DWC typically fall somewhere in the 80 to 140 AED range each way, depending on starting point and traffic. Parking capacity close to the airshow entrance is limited, so using the official Park and Ride or metro plus shuttle is usually the most reliable option (suitable for solo visitors, corporate teams and aviation enthusiasts).
Travel from Abu Dhabi and other emirates
Professionals travelling from Abu Dhabi often drive via Sheikh Zayed Road or the E11 and then follow signs to Dubai World Central and Al Maktoum International Airport, with typical journey times of around one hour and thirty minutes to nearly two hours each way depending on traffic. Some visitors prefer to use intercity buses or new express services between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, then transfer to the metro and continue to Expo City before boarding the airshow shuttle. Sharjah and Northern Emirates based attendees usually route through Dubai’s main highways toward the south, again aiming for Al Maktoum Airport parking rather than attempting to reach the venue directly. It is sensible to plan to arrive at the Park and Ride area well before 09:30 so that you have time for parking, security screening and the shuttle ride. Regardless of where you start, building a generous time buffer into your Monday morning and evening journeys is essential, especially for those travelling as part of larger business delegations (suitable for solo visitors, corporate groups and trade couples).
Weather, clothing and practical warnings
Forecasts for Monday 17 November in Dubai point to hazy sunshine with daytime temperatures rising toward 30 to 31 degrees Celsius during peak hours at the airshow, and evening values easing back toward the mid twenties, with no significant rain risk currently highlighted. Light, breathable clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen work best for the tarmac and outdoor viewing areas, while a blazer or light jacket is still useful for air conditioned conference spaces. Closed, comfortable shoes will make the long walks between shuttle stops, halls and static displays much easier, and ear protection is advisable if you plan to stay close to loud flying displays. Traffic around DWC and the connecting highways can become very heavy around opening and closing times, so arriving early and considering a later departure, especially if you combine your visit with the separate Airshow After Dark events on subsequent evenings, will usually reduce stress. Ticket prices, shuttle timetables and some programme details may still change as organisers refine the schedule, so it is wise to treat all quoted costs as approximately and recheck closer to the date. Editors at www.few.ae often emphasise that planning around the heat, using the official shuttles and allowing extra travel time will make your first trade day at Dubai Airshow 2025 far more comfortable and productive.
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