Dubai: More than 70,000 passengers, mostly UAE residents, will head to the Dubai International airport tomorrow, Friday, for a summertime flight.
High passenger loads are also expected on Saturday and Sunday, as the annual holiday exodus continues, possibly creating long queues inside passenger terminals and traffic on routes near the airport.
This weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year, with Emirates Airlines alone expecting more than 62,000 travelers to board a flight from Dubai on June 26 and "consistently high passenger" numbers from June 27 to 28.
“[The airline] expects higher than normal passenger traffic on its flights this upcoming weekend, as travelers head home or abroad for the summer holiday season,” Emirates said in a statement.
To avoid missing their flights, Dubai-based expatriates who are traveling out of the country over the next few days are taking some precautionary measures, with many of them aiming to leave their homes five hours before the flight.
Elena, who will be traveling to the Philippines with her two children on June 28, is expecting to see a flood of passengers, so she intends to leave the house at 6 pm or 7pm for their 11:10pm flight.
“We have not received any travel advisory from the airline, but for us to avoid the long queues, we will come to the airport four to five hours before our flight,” Elena said.
Dubai Airports has issued an advisory to passengers traveling this summer, highlighting the need to check in online and arrive at least three hours before a flight. The airport authority has also posted on its website a list of “smart travel tips” to ensure passengers from Dubai won’t get stuck in long queues.
“Beat the queues by checking in online (where possible) or using the self-service check-in kiosks in the departures hall. Customers with baggage can make use of the quick baggage drop counters, while those carrying only hand luggage can proceed directly to immigration,” an advisory from Dubai Airports said.
Emirates is urging customers to arrive at the airport at least three hours before departure and allow extra time to get to the terminal. Passengers are advised that they can check in as early as six hours before the flight and make use of special areas for families consisting of ten check-in counters in Terminal 3.
“Customers who check in less than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted for travel. These time checks are in place to ensure the minimization of delays and missed connections,” the airline said.
