Dubai: Over 8 million passengers used Dubai International airport in July as the airport recorded its busiest month on record, according to the latest data from operator Dubai Airports.
The figure for passenger numbers in July marks a 5.9 per cent increase from the 7.6 million passengers passing through the airport in the same month in 2016.
It also brings the total number of passengers using the airport in the first seven months of 2017 to 48 million passengers, up 6.2 per cent year-on-year.
South America was the fastest growing region in July, with traffic surging 59 per cent. It was followed by Asia, at 20 per cent, with China and Thailand as top contributors to traffic from Dubai.
In terms of destinations, India retained its position as the top country with over 1 million passengers, followed by the UK (610,151 passengers) and Saudi Arabia (571,170 passengers).
The most popular cities served from Dubai International airport in terms of traffic volume were London, followed by Kuwait, Mumbai, Bangkok and Riyadh.
“We have started the second half of the year on a very positive note, and with the Islamic festival of Eid Al Adha coinciding with the summer rush later this month, the upward trend is expected to remain strong in the third quarter,” Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports, said in a statement.
The airport also saw a rise in cargo volumes, with freight totalling 213,258 tonnes in July, up 5 per cent year-on-year.
