Dubai: Passenger numbers at Dubai International grew by 13.7 per cent to 6.1 million in April compared to the same month a year earlier when Qantas launched flights to the airport.
It is third time in four months the airport has recorded monthly passenger numbers in excess of 6 million, Dubai Airports said in a statement on Tuesday.
Over the first four months of the year, passenger traffic increased 11.9 per cent to 24.5 million. Dubai International continues to pip ahead of London Heathrow as the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic this year. The London airport has had 22.2 million passengers pass through year to date.
In April 2013, Qantas and Emirates started their five-year revenue and codesharing partnership that saw the Australian carrier shift its London-bound hub from Asia to Dubai. It also dropped out of its 17-year-long partnership with British Airways.
Western Europe contributed the highest passenger number growth at Dubai international in April with 172,223 passengers, followed by the Indian subcontinent with 166,241 passengers. Dubai Airports stated that growth out of the subcontinent in April was driven by double-digit increases from Karachi and Islamabad in Pakistan.
There were 31,234 aircraft landings and take offs in April, representing a 2.5 per cent increase on the same month last year. Total aircraft movements for the year are up 3.6 per cent to 125,928.
Cargo volumes were up 3.7 per cent to 207,317 tonnes in April. Year to date volumes have reached 821,193 tonnes, up 4.6 per cent.
April was the last month of full operations at Dubai International ahead of the runway maintenance works that began May. The scheduled refurbishment and upgrade work reduces the airport to a single runway as the airport’s two runways are consecutively closed. The airport will resume full operations on July 20.
