Dubai Customs dealt with 13.4 million items of baggage last year

Dubai: Dubai Customs dealt with 13.4 million items of baggage for 8.7 million passengers aboard 85,822 flights through Dubai Airports in 2020.

In 2020, Dubai Customs made 820 seizures (550 drugs seizures, 107 customs seizures, 99 ammunition seizures, and 64 others).

Khalid Ahmed, acting director of Passenger Operations Department said: “Dubai Customs facilitates global trade and passenger traffic and protects the society, and keeps developing its potential and capabilities following the wise vision of our leadership. The Passenger Operations Department was very ready when the flights resumed after they had stopped due to the spread of the pandemic. All emergency plans and measures were taken to ensure safety for all passengers, clients and passengers.”

He added: “The department applies the best systems by recruiting AI applications in inspection and other routines at the airport. Number of passengers is expected to rise due to the increase of flights. We have launched the iDeclare application that enables passenger declare belongings and reduce time needed to complete customs routine to less than five minutes. The application is available on Apple Store and Google Play.”

Waleed Eissa bin Darwish, senior manager-Al Maktoum Air Centre hailed the strict precautionary measures taken at Dubai Airport and the regular updates and procedures that are taken to contain the spread of the pandemic.

Dubai Customs plays an essential role in facilitating passenger and baggage traffic in general, with more efforts and measures taken during the spread of the pandemic. The extraordinary efforts stand behind the success of Dubai International Airport globally and boost the status of Dubai as a global hub for travel and tourism.

Dubai Customs’ Passenger Operations Department follows all precautionary measures in the face of the pandemic to ensure passengers and staff’s safety. These measures included new seating plans at the waiting areas.