Dubai's air traffic shows rapid growth

Dubai's air traffic has shown rapid growth with the total number of flights increasing 32 per cent between 1996 and 2000, according to the recently released Dubai Municipality's Statistical Yearbook for 2000.

Eighty-two per cent of the flights in 2000 were scheduled, 15 per cent were non-scheduled and the rest were military flights.

Matching this increase in flight numbers was the increase in passenger arrivals, which recorded a 63 per cent increase in 2000 over 1996 figures. Departures, too, rose 59 per cent while transit passenger numbers grew 10 per cent.

The months of March and August 2000 recorded increased passenger arrivals while the number of departures increased in July, when most Dubai residents would have left on annual vacation.

Of the 12.32 million passengers that comprised the aviation traffic for 2000, arrivals represented 45.5 per cent, departures were 44.8 per cent and transit 9.8 per cent. The cargo industry at Dubai International Airport has grown steadily at an average annual rate of 9.4 per cent in the last five years.

Volume of discharged goods increased in 2000 by 64 per cent compared with 1996, while loaded goods rose 49 per cent during the same period. Moreover, discharged goods ranked first in 2000 with a share of 55 per cent while loaded goods registered 45 per cent.