Airport Terminal 3 Metro Station Overview
Airport Terminal 3 is a Red Line station in Zone 5, serving Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DXB). It is station R13, between Emirates and Airport Terminal 1, and it opened with the Red Line on 9 September 2009.
The station is fully underground, with a covered, air-conditioned link that runs from the platforms into the arrivals walkway at Terminal 3. Emirates and Qantas use this terminal, so if you have flown either airline, the Metro is steps from where you collect your bags.
First and last train from Airport Terminal 3 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 | 5:23 AM daily | 1:01 AM (Mon to Wed, Sun) 1:00 AM (Thu, Fri) 12:58 AM (Sat) |
| To Expo 2020 | 5:08 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:38 AM (Sun) | 12:01 AM (Mon to Wed) 11:58 PM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 1:02 AM (Fri) |
| To Life Pharmacy | 5:05 AM (Mon to Sat) 7:44 AM (Sun) | 11:57 PM (Mon to Wed) 12:02 AM (Thu, Sat, Sun) 12:58 AM (Fri) |
Book a private airport transfer
After a long flight, a pre-booked transfer skips the Metro change and gets you to the hotel door. Useful for late-night arrivals or if you are travelling with a lot of luggage.
Airport Terminal 3 Station opening hours and facilities
Airport Terminal 3 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 3 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 are heading into the city on a hot evening, the Metro fills up at peak. Wait one or two trains rather than squeeze in with luggage. Trains run every few minutes at peak and the next one is rarely as crowded as the one in front of you.
From the platform into Terminal 3
The station is built underneath the airport’s eastern expansion, with a covered link that runs from the Metro platforms into the arrivals walkway at Terminal 3. 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 three to five minutes from the hall. 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.
Emirates and Qantas use Terminal 3, a separate facility within DXB, so this station is the closest stop for either airline’s passengers. flydubai, Air Arabia and Wizz Air use Terminal 1, one Metro stop south at R14. Terminal 2 sits across the airfield and has no Metro station of its own.
Heading into Dubai from the airport
For Downtown and the Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall, it is twelve 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, or stay on to Ibn Battuta for the mall.
For the old city, Bur Dubai and the Creek, change at Union (R18) for the Green Line. That is five stops from the airport for AED 3, the lowest fare on the network. The other Green Line interchange, BurJuman (R19), is one stop further south on the Red Line if your destination sits closer to Bur Dubai.
Late at night you may arrive after the last train. The last service from Airport Terminal 3 towards Centrepoint runs around 12:58am on Saturdays and just past 1:00am on the other weekdays and Friday. Outside those hours, a taxi from the airport rank is the easiest option, with the meter fare set by the trip distance.
Coming off a long flight with bags? Use the lifts rather than the travelator with a loaded trolley. The gap at the top of the moving belt is awkward with a heavy bag, and the lifts are signposted from the arrivals walkway.
Fares from Airport Terminal 3 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 | 12 | 2 | AED 5.00 |
| Mall of the Emirates | 16 | 3 | AED 7.50 |
| Expo 2020 | 28 | 5 | AED 7.50 |
| Union | 5 | 1 | AED 3.00 |
| Ibn Battuta | 23 | 3 | AED 7.50 |
Metro Stations Before and After Airport Terminal 3 Station
- Emirates (R12): The stop after Airport Terminal 3 on the Red Line going towards Centrepoint
- Airport Terminal 1 (R14): The stop after Airport Terminal 3 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 paying roaming fees.