Dubai International Airport's Open-Skies Policy

Dubai International Airport’s open-skies policy, combined with Emirates Airline’s aggressive post-1985 expansion, created the world’s most connected aviation hub, placing 66% of the global population within an 8-hour flight. This liberal approach attracted over 90 airlines, making it faster to reach Asia, Europe, and Africa from Dubai than from #4's hub. The policy single-handedly boosted Dubai’s GDP by 12% annually during the 1990s, proving cheaper than maintaining restrictive bilateral agreements.