Airport Terminal 1 Metro Station Overview
Airport Terminal 1 is a Red Line station in Zone 5, serving Terminal 1 at Dubai International Airport (DXB). It is station R14, between Airport Terminal 3 and Al Garhoud, and it opened with the Red Line on 9 September 2009.
Terminal 1 handles flydubai, Air Arabia, Wizz Air and most other international carriers that are not Emirates or Qantas. The station has a covered, air-conditioned link straight into the terminal, so you reach the Metro in a few minutes from baggage claim without stepping outside.
First and last train from Airport Terminal 1 Station
These times come from the official RTA timetable. For the exact minute on the day you travel, the RTA S'hail app is the live source.
| Direction | First train | Last train |
|---|---|---|
| To Centrepoint | 5:21 AM daily | 12:59 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 12:58 AM (Thu, Fri) 12:56 AM (Sat) |
| To Expo 2020 | 5:10 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:40 AM (Sun) | 11:59 PM (Mon to Wed) 11:56 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 1:00 AM (Fri) |
| To Life Pharmacy | 5:07 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:46 AM (Sun) | 11:55 PM (Mon to Wed) 12:00 AM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:56 AM (Fri) |
Book a private airport transfer
After a long flight, a pre-booked transfer skips the Metro change with luggage and gets you to the hotel door. Useful for late-night arrivals.
Airport Terminal 1 Station opening hours and facilities
Airport Terminal 1 station keeps the standard RTA opening hours, the same right across the network:
- Monday to Thursday: 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- Friday: 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Airport Terminal 1 has the standard Dubai Metro facilities, confirmed in the official RTA passenger guide. The station is step-free, with lifts to all levels, tactile guidance paths, and dedicated wheelchair spaces on every train. Nol card machines and a ticket counter sit inside the concourse, alongside bilingual signage and information screens. Du Wi-Fi covers the network.
Every regular train carries three cabin types: Gold Class at one end, a Women and Children cabin with pink signage, and Standard cabins. Door pictograms on the platform show where each cabin stops. The station has at least one bus connection, dedicated Metro Police, CCTV throughout, and emergency call points on every platform and train.
If you arrive with luggage, use the lifts rather than the travelator. The gap at the top of the moving belt is awkward with a heavy trolley, and the lifts are signposted from the arrivals walkway.
From the platform into Terminal 1
The station sits on the older side of the airport, with a covered link from the Metro platforms into the arrivals walkway at Terminal 1. The walk is air-conditioned and step-free.
For arrivals: come up the escalators or lifts after baggage claim, follow signs for Metro, and you reach the platforms in a few minutes. Buy a Nol card at the ticket machines before you go through the gates. For departures: enter the Metro side of the airport on the upper level and follow signs to the check-in area.
flydubai, Air Arabia, Wizz Air and the bulk of other international airlines use Terminal 1. Emirates and Qantas use Terminal 3, one stop north at R13. Terminal 2, the budget terminal across the airfield, has no Metro station of its own; the closest stop is Abu Hail on the Green Line, then RTA bus 43 or a 1.5 km walk.
Heading into Dubai from the airport
For Downtown and the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall, it is eleven stops south on the Red Line for AED 5, around half an hour with no change of train. For the Marina and JBR, change at DMCC (R37) or Sobha Realty (R36) for the Dubai Tram.
For old Dubai, Bur Dubai and the Creek, change at Union (R18) for the Green Line. That is four stops from Terminal 1 for AED 3, the lowest fare on the network. The other Green Line interchange, BurJuman (R19), is one stop further south if your destination sits closer to Bur Dubai.
If you arrive late at night past the last train, the taxi rank at Terminal 1 is the easiest option. The last southbound train from Airport Terminal 1 runs around 12:56am on Saturday and just past 1:00am on the other weekdays and Friday.
If your trip starts in the city centre at off-peak hours, you may save time by leaving from Union (R18) rather than the airport stations. Trains coming through the airport often fill up at Centrepoint, while Union has more standing room for a long ride south to Downtown or the Marina.
Fares from Airport Terminal 1 Station
Fares depend on how many zones your trip crosses, not how many stations you pass. A Silver Nol card costs AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two zones, and AED 7.50 for three or more zones, per the RTA Nol fares page. A personal Blue Nol card pays the same as Silver. Gold Class costs double: AED 6, 10 or 15 across the same bands.
Without a Nol card, the Red ticket is a separate, higher tariff of AED 4, 6 or 8.50 by zone band, and the blank ticket costs AED 2 to buy. Children aged five and under travel free, and travel is free for People of Determination.
| Destination | Stops | Zones | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | 11 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 15 | 3 | AED 7.50 |
| Expo 2020 | 27 | 5 | AED 7.50 |
| Airport Terminal 3 | 1 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Union | 4 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
Metro Stations Before and After Airport Terminal 1 Station
- Airport Terminal 3 (R13): The stop after Airport Terminal 1 on the Red Line going towards Centrepoint
- Al Garhoud (R15): The stop after Airport Terminal 1 on the Red Line going towards Expo 2020
Get a Dubai travel eSIM before you land
A prepaid eSIM gives you data the moment you land at DXB, so you can call a transfer, top up your Nol card via the app, and pull up maps without roaming fees.