Heathrow airport has lost its status as the world's busiest international airport.
Figures released today show Dubai International Airport hosted 70.5 million international passengers in 2014 - about two million more than the west London airport - which had just 68.1 million passengers on international flights.
Heathrow does, however, remain on top for all air traffic, posting figures of 73.5 million in its annual report.
A spokesman for Dubai Airports said today's figures signified a "historic milestone" for the company.
Despite opening its Terminal 5 building in March 2008, Heathrow has been looking to further expand its capacity, which currently stands at about 98 per cent.
A spokeswoman for Heathrow today blamed lack of capacity for losing its crown as the world's leading airport.
She said: "Britain has benefited from being home to the world's largest port or airport for the last 350 years.
"But lack of capacity at Heathrow means we have inevitably lost our crown to Dubai."
Dubai International has seen a 6.1 per cent increase on footfall since 2013.
Commenting on the news, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths predicted Dubai International could handle up to 79 million passengers this year as it offers "more flights connecting more people to more destinations".
