Emirates flies from Terminal 3, most other international airlines from Terminal 1, and flydubai plus a list of smaller carriers from Terminal 2. Only Terminals 1 and 3 have a Red Line Metro station, with fares of AED 3-7.5 a trip; Terminal 2 means a taxi or a bus. This guide lists the airlines by terminal, the gates, the Metro hours (Sundays start at 8 AM), taxi fares, and how to change terminals or fill a layover.
By SB Excursions · Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 29 October 2026
Tour on this route: Dubai Marina Shared Yacht Tour — From $32 per person, 1 hour.
Which terminal does Emirates use at Dubai airport?
Emirates flies from Terminal 3, as do Qantas, Air Canada and United Airlines. flydubai uses Terminals 2 and 3, so check your booking. Terminal 3 has a Red Line Metro station reached under cover, and the B and C Gates are a walk while the A Gates are a short airport train ride away.
This guide also answers:
- Does Terminal 2 have a Metro station?
- How to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3?
- How much is a taxi from Dubai airport to the city?
Five ways out of the airport, by terminal
#1
Metro from Terminal 1 or 3
The cheapest and most traffic-proof way in: AED 3-7.5 a trip on a Nol card, with the station reached under cover from the terminal. It reaches Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall in about 25 minutes. It does not suit two big suitcases, a late-night arrival after the last train, or Terminal 2, which has no station.
#2
Taxi from the rank
The meter starts at about AED 25 at the airport rank, then runs by distance: expect about AED 40-60 to Downtown and AED 80-110 to the Marina, with cards accepted. It is the simplest answer from Terminal 2 and the only sensible one with a family and four bags. Tell the driver your hotel name, not just the district.
#3
Ride-hailing pickup
Careem and similar apps work from the airport, with the fare shown before you confirm and the card charged in the app. The pickup point is not always at the taxi rank, so follow the in-app map rather than the taxi signs. In the evening peak the price can rise. Our taxi guide compares the options in detail.
#4
Bus from the arrivals stands
RTA buses leave from stands at Arrivals in all three terminals, which makes the bus the only public option from Terminal 2. A Nol card is required, because cash is not accepted on board. Routes and times change, so check the journey planner or the S'hail app for the number that reaches your hotel, and allow longer than the Metro.
#5
Straight to the Marina and the water
A taxi to the Marina takes about 35-50 minutes, and the Metro plus tram or a short walk about 60-75 minutes door to door. With a long layover, the one-hour shared yacht tour from $32 is a compact way to see the skyline before you fly on. Check-in is 20 minutes before departure.
Dubai airport terminals in one minute
Dubai International (DXB) has three passenger terminals, and your airline decides which one you use. Terminal 3 is Emirates, together with Qantas, Air Canada and United Airlines. Terminal 1 handles most other international carriers, such as British Airways, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Air India. Terminal 2 serves flydubai (which also flies from Terminal 3) and a list of smaller airlines.
For the ride into the city the rule is simple. Terminals 1 and 3 each have a Red Line station reached under cover from the building; Terminal 2 has none, so it is a taxi or a bus. A Metro trip to Downtown costs about AED 5-7.5 on a Nol card, and a taxi about AED 40-60. The lists below come from the airport's own airline page in late October 2026. Airlines do move between terminals, so the terminal printed on your booking always wins.
Which airlines use which terminal
The airport publishes its airlines by terminal. These are the names visitors ask about most, grouped as that list showed them on 29 October 2026.
| Terminal | Airlines you will know | Red Line station | Gates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | British Airways, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Air India, IndiGo, Singapore Airlines, Saudia, KLM, Delta, Virgin Atlantic | Yes, Airport Terminal 1 | D Gates by a short airport train |
| Terminal 2 | flydubai (also Terminal 3), Air India Express, Wizz Air, RwandAir, Nepal Airlines, Salam Air | No | F Gates |
| Terminal 3 | Emirates, Qantas, Air Canada, United Airlines, flydubai (also Terminal 2) | Yes, Airport Terminal 3 | B and C Gates on foot; A Gates by a short airport train |
Some airlines also list Dubai World Central (DWC). Always check the terminal on your booking or in the airline app.
Two traps follow from the list. Air India uses Terminal 1 while Air India Express uses Terminal 2, and flydubai flights can leave from either Terminal 2 or Terminal 3, so read the terminal line on the ticket instead of guessing from the airline's name. A taxi to the wrong terminal costs you a second ride and a lot of time, and Terminal 2 is not next door to the other two.
Gates and the walk inside each terminal
Terminal 1 has the D Gates, reached with a short trip on an airport train. Terminal 3 is split in three: walk between the B and C Gates, and take a short airport train to the A Gates. Terminal 2 lists its F Gates as its concourse.
In practice this means a boarding pass is not the end of the walk. Check the gate on the screens after security, and allow a few extra minutes if it begins with D in Terminal 1 or A in Terminal 3, because a train ride sits between you and the aircraft. Anyone with reduced mobility or a young child should ask for help at the desk; the airport's Guest Experience Ambassadors can point you the right way.
From the terminal to the city: Metro, taxi or bus
All three options work from the airport; the best one depends on your luggage and the hour. The Metro Red Line runs Monday to Thursday from 5 AM to midnight, on Friday from 5 AM to 1 AM, on Saturday from 5 AM to midnight and on Sunday from 8 AM to midnight, according to the airport. Hours change on public holidays and during citywide celebrations.
| Option | Terminals | Cost (about) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Red Line | 1 and 3 | AED 3-7.5 a trip, plus about AED 25 for a Silver Nol card with AED 19 credit | One bag, daytime, Downtown, Business Bay, the Marina |
| Taxi | 1, 2 and 3 | Meter starts at about AED 25; AED 40-60 to Downtown, AED 80-110 to the Marina | Luggage, groups, night, Terminal 2 |
| Ride-hailing | 1, 2 and 3 | Fare shown in the app before you ride | A price up front; larger cars |
| RTA bus | 1, 2 and 3 | Nol card only; cash is not accepted | A known route; the only public option from Terminal 2 |
Prices are approximate and change; check the RTA S'hail app before you travel.
The step-by-step versions are in our airport guides: DXB to Downtown and DXB to Dubai Marina, with separate guides for JBR, the Palm, Business Bay and Deira. For the wider picture of fares and lines, see the Dubai Metro guide and how taxis and Careem work.
Changing terminals and filling a layover
Terminals 1 and 3 are neighbouring stations on the Red Line, so one stop links them: Airport Terminal 3 is the next station towards Centrepoint from Terminal 1, and the fare is a short-hop AED 3-5. Terminal 2 sits across the airfield with no station. The airport's website gives no inter-terminal shuttle timetable, so ask your airline or the Guest Experience Ambassadors on arrival, and do not plan a tight change on separate tickets. If your bags are not checked through, you collect them, change terminal and check in again, so leave several hours.
With a long gap between flights you can see a piece of Dubai without risking the connection. A taxi to Downtown takes 15-25 minutes, and a Burj Khalifa ticket from $55 is a timed entry that takes 1.5-2 hours on the decks; the Metro reaches Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station in about 25 minutes, then it is a 10-15 minute walk into the mall. In the Marina, the 1-hour shared yacht tour from $32 leaves hourly from Level P of Al Majara Tower, with check-in 20 minutes before. It needs full pre-payment and an original passport or Emirates ID, and there is no hotel transfer, so it suits a layover of eight hours or more.
The Abu Dhabi city tour is the wrong fit for a layover: it starts with a hotel pickup at 8:00 AM and lasts 9 hours, so keep it for a night in Dubai. A full plan by hours is in the layover itinerary, and our guide to SIM cards at the airport helps you get data before you leave the hall.
Leaving Dubai: the right terminal and the early-flight trap
Most departure problems at DXB come from three small mistakes, all easy to avoid:
- Wrong terminal. Emirates is Terminal 3; flydubai may be Terminal 2 or 3. Tell the taxi driver the terminal, because Terminal 2 is a separate drive around the airfield.
- The Sunday start. The Metro opens at 8 AM on Sundays, so a 6 AM flight on a Sunday means a taxi, not a train.
- The midnight end. The last trains leave around midnight, or 1 AM on Friday, so a flight that lands late means a taxi.
- Too little time. Airlines usually ask for about three hours before an international departure; the airline's own advice wins, and a train ride to the D or A Gates adds minutes.
DWC: the other airport
Dubai World Central (DWC, Al Maktoum International) is a separate airport on the far south-west edge of the city, and a few of the airlines in the airport's list operate there instead of, or as well as, DXB. It has no Metro, and a taxi to the Marina or Downtown is a long and costly ride. Check which airport your ticket names, and read our DWC guide before you book the transfer.
FAQ
Which terminal does Emirates use at Dubai airport?
Emirates flies from Terminal 3, as do Qantas, Air Canada and United Airlines. flydubai uses Terminals 2 and 3, so check your booking. Terminal 3 has a Red Line Metro station reached under cover, and the B and C Gates are a walk while the A Gates are a short airport train ride away.
Does Terminal 2 have a Metro station?
No. Only Terminals 1 and 3 have Red Line stations. From Terminal 2 take a taxi, which starts at about AED 25 on the meter, or an RTA bus from the stands at Arrivals; a Nol card is needed because cash is not accepted on board.
How to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3?
By Metro, one stop apart on the Red Line: Airport Terminal 3 is the next station towards Centrepoint, for a short-hop fare of about AED 3-5. Terminal 2 is across the airfield. The airport website gives no shuttle timetable, so ask your airline or a Guest Experience Ambassador.
How much is a taxi from Dubai airport to the city?
The meter starts at about AED 25 at the airport rank, and the usual totals are AED 40-60 to Downtown and AED 80-110 to Dubai Marina. Cards are accepted. Fares change, so treat these as a guide and ask the driver to use the meter.
What time does the Metro run to and from the airport?
According to the airport, the Red Line runs Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 5 AM to midnight, Friday from 5 AM to 1 AM, and Sunday from 8 AM to midnight. Public holidays can change this, so check the RTA website. Outside these hours, take a taxi.
Which terminal is flydubai?
flydubai is listed at both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 (and at DWC for some flights). The terminal depends on the flight, so read the terminal line on your ticket or in the app, and tell the taxi driver which one before you set off.
How early to arrive at the airport?
For an international flight, airlines usually ask for about three hours before departure. Allow extra time if your gate is in the D Gates (Terminal 1) or A Gates (Terminal 3), where a short airport train ride is part of the walk. Your airline's own advice is the final word.
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