Dubai: Dubai International's passenger traffic surpassed the four million mark for the second consecutive month in November and for the third time in 2010 according to traffic data released by Dubai Airports.
The airport handled a total of 4.07 million passengers, up 15.1 per cent from the 3.53 million in November 2009. Year-to-date passenger numbers reached 42.92 million compared to the 37.12 million in the corresponding period in 2009, an increase of 15.6 per cent.
Routes to and from the Indian subcontinent, AGCC countries and Western Europe recorded the largest increases in passenger numbers.
International freight volumes rose marginally by 0.3 per cent to 192,405 tonnes in November compared to 191,897 tonnes recorded during the same period last year.
The subdued growth rate in monthly cargo volumes seen in recent months can be partly attributed to the surge in monthly freight volumes recorded during the corresponding months of 2009 due to improved global economic activity and clearing of inventories worldwide.
Year-to-date, Dubai International has maintained a healthy growth rate with cargo volumes rising 19.3 per cent to 2.08 million tonnes compared to 1.74 million during the corresponding period in 2009.
"We are crossing a new traffic threshold, with our average monthly passenger numbers for 2010 shooting up by over 500,000 passengers per month to 3.9 million," Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports said.
"Based on our current growth rates and our projections for next year the four million passenger number should become the norm in 2011. Our New Year's resolution is to efficiently manage that growth by augmenting capacity on the ground and in the air while continuing to enhance service levels across the airport," Griffiths said.
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