Dubai travel: Family flying out of DXB? Avoid seeing them off at the airport

Dubai: Dubai Airports on Thursday said only ticketed passengers will be allowed entry into the terminals at Dubai International (DXB) during the ongoing peak travel period.

An estimated 2 million passengers are expected to pass through DXB between December 29, 2021 and January 8, 2022 with average daily traffic exceeding 178,000 travellers. January 2 will be the busiest day of the holiday season with more than 198,000 passengers expected.

The airport’s terminal 3 alone is expected to serve more than 1.6 million passengers in the second-half of December, said Dubai Airports in a statement earlier.

“We always advise friends and families of travellers to say their goodbyes at home instead of coming to the airport,” said Essa Al Shamsi, Vice President of Terminal Operations at Dubai Airports.

“This is even more important now given the situation with the pandemic and the high volume of passengers using the airport during the peak holiday season - if a friend or family member is flying out of Dubai during the next 10 days, people can help us in a big way in minimising congestion in and around the airport and making travel safer and easier for everyone by simply not coming to the airport to see them off,” said Al Shamsi.

Meanwhile, Dubai Airports has shared the following important tips for customers travelling during the holiday season to ensure a smooth start to their journey:

• Be aware of the latest travel regulations for the destination you are travelling to. Get in touch with your respective airlines and ensure that you have all the necessary documents with the required validity before reaching the airport.

• Plan some extra time to get to and through the airport as the roads to DXB could get busy during peak times.

• Arrive at the airport no earlier than 3 hours before your departure if you are flying out of Terminals 1 or 2. Check-in online and use self-service options wherever available to start your journey in comfort.