Dubai Airports revises 2024 passenger forecast to 93 million after strong summer performance

Dubai: Dubai Airports has revised its 2024 passenger forecast to 93 million, exceeding the earlier estimate of 91.8 million. The record of 93 million was earlier forecasted for the end of 2025. Speaking to the media on Monday at the sidelines of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) World, CEO Paul Griffiths said, “We are ahead of schedule. We’re hoping to see 93 million (by the end of this year) and 100 million maybe a couple of years away.”

In August, Dubai Airports announced passenger traffic of 44.9 million during the first half of the year, up 8 per cent year over year. Griffiths attributed the increase to strong performance in the first half of the year and an 8 per cent growth in summer traffic compared to the same period in 2023.

He added, “We’ve had a very strong first half this year. Every time we revise our forecast, it’s always upward. So that’s a very positive trajectory.”

Moreover, the summer traffic at DXB was “8 per cent better than last year, and much better than our pre-pandemic levels in 2017,” said the aviation veteran.

Move to DWC

Commenting on the status of the proposed $35 billion passenger terminal at Dubai World Central, Griffiths said, “We are still in the detailed design phase.” Contracts have yet to be awarded for the construction of the mega hub, which, upon completion, can accommodate up to 260 million passengers a year.

“There’s a lot of work going on at the moment to optimize the design because obviously, we want to build not just the biggest but the best airport in the world, and that needs a lot of thought, lots of systems integration, lot of technology, lot of processes. So, there’s a huge amount of work ahead. The start of construction depends on when the design will be completed and signed off. It’s going to be a little while before we’ve finalized the plans,” Griffiths said.

Given the fast-growing numbers at DWC, Griffiths also said that Dubai Airports has been encouraging airlines that can’t secure their preferred times at DXB to consider DWC as an alternative hub. The existing terminal at DWC has a passenger capacity of approximately 32 million.

“We have some interesting discussions with airlines planning to put more flights into DWC. What will be happening is additional flights that we can’t find timings for at DXB will be accommodated at DWC. That seems to be the popular way of moving now,” he explained.

DWC welcomed more than 540,000 travellers in 2023 and registered 4,250 flight movements (passenger) during the year.

Dubai-bound tourism

Griffiths attributed the growth in passenger numbers to the attractiveness of Dubai as a stand-alone travel destination. “The number of hotel beds has tripled in the last few years, and of course, the traffic through the airport has similarly picked up. We’re seeing record numbers compared to pre-pandemic. And the most interesting thing is 60 per cent of those numbers are now staying here in Dubai, whereas before the pandemic, it was 40 per cent.”

The Emirate has set ambitious targets to boost inbound tourist numbers to 23-25 million by 2025. Issam AbdulRahim Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), who was also speaking at FHS said, that the hospitality sector is experiencing rapid growth. “We have 151,000 plus hotel rooms and there is still demand for more. We are seeing record numbers on repeat visitations; about 25 per cent of the visitors who come to Dubai are repeat visitors,” said Kazim.

In tandem with DXB’s growth, Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates is ramping up its fleet, network, and products as it readies itself for the next ‘era’ poised for even more growth. Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airline said, “We’ve stood in the face of unexpected business challenges together and turned disruption to our advantage by moving nimbly towards every opportunity available to achieve outstanding results. And we’re only getting started.”

He added, “Our growth trajectory will accelerate in the coming years in line with Dubai’s D33 ambitions, and our teams are focused and committed to continue generating extraordinary value for the business.”