Dubai airport enjoys record growth in 2000

Dubai International Airport enjoyed record growth last year as passenger numbers, aircraft movements and the number of airlines all showed a healthy increase. A total of 12.3 million passengers passed through the airport, a 14.6 per cent increase over 1999's 10.7 million.

Total aircraft movements increased 6.5 per cent to 141,281, and freight volumes at the Cargo Village increased 18.6 per cent. Executive flights - of which there were 1,502 in 1999 - rose 25.7 per cent to 1,888 in 2000. The number of airlines operating out of Dubai rose to 95, serving 137 destinations. In 1999, a total of 26 airlines used Terminal 2, a number that rose to 35 by the end of 2000.

Dubai Duty Free experienced 17 per cent growth in annual turnover as sales touched $220 million. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates, said, "The opening of the Sheikh Rashid terminal has marked a new high in passenger movement.

"While 1999 witnessed growth of 10.5 per cent, the year 2000 had a phenomenal growth of 14.6 per cent. With the increased capacity and excellent facilities offered by the Sheikh Rashid terminal, we expect this growth to continue and, hence, are finalising our next phase of expansion due to begin in 2003." Experts predict a continuous growth in travel demands worldwide - which in the Middle East is averaging 4.7 per cent.