Dubai: More than 44.9 million passengers moved through Dubai International Airport in the first six months of 2024, which is an 8 per cent gain on the same time last year.
What’s even more impressive is that the latest growth came about despite interruptions caused by the record rains in mid-April, which meant 1,244 flight cancellations and 61 re-routing over two days.
In fact, during the April to end June period, the Dubai airport saw 21.8 million passengers, an increase of 7.5 per cent compared to Q2-2023, and total aircraft movements were 107,000.
The DXB, home to Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates and its sister airline flydubai, reached ‘record passenger numbers due to a surge in demand from Chinese markets’, according to CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths.
Traffic from China surpassed 1 million passengers, showing an 80 per cent year-on-year growth and a 90 per cent recovery compared to 2019 figures.
In an earlier interview with Gulf News, Griffiths had said the week-long disruptions in April would not impact DXB’s passenger numbers in the long term. “We have 250,000 passengers regularly going through the airport every single day. And over the year, I don’t think this will have a significant impact.”
Passenger traffic at DXB also remains strong despite regional geopolitical tensions, leading to temporarily cancelled operations in Tel Aviv and Iran.
On track for 91.8 m passengers
The world’s busiest airport hub is on track to break records, with 91.8 million passengers forecast for this year. Griffiths said, “Strong demand from key source markets such as India and the gradual but certain resurgence of markets such as China, have been instrumental in our success.
“We have a very optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, and we are on track to break records with 91.8 million guests forecast for 2024.”
Griffiths also said the performance during H1-2024 highlights DXB’s strategic importance as a global aviation hub. “Dubai is at the forefront of global cities when it comes to attracting talent, businesses, and tourists from around the world,” he said. “And we are proud to be the gateway to the city, driving growth and enhancing the airport experience for every guest.”
Flight movements
According to DXB, the total number of flight movements reached 216,000, a 7.2 per cent increase compared to H1-2023. January was the busiest month, with 7.9 million visitors.
Airport authorities said the average number of passengers per aircraft movement was 213, and the load factor remained steady at 77 per cent compared to H1-2023. Direct traffic accounted for 56 per cent of the total, a slight increase, while transfer traffic comprised 44 per cent.
Color-coded car parks
Authorities at DXB are also planning several new developments to meet growing demand. These include color-coded car parks ‘for easier navigation, an advanced queue management system, and improvements in the VIP check-in area’, said Griffiths.
These come ahead of Dubai’s planned $35 billion passenger terminal at Dubai World Central (DWC). Over the next decade, DWC will accommodate 150 million passengers annually, eventually expanding to 260 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo.
Contribution to tourism, GDP
According to figures released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, the emirate attracted 9.31 million international visitors in H1-2024. This growth closely matched Dubai’s GDP, which reached Dh115 billion in Q1-2024, up 3.2 per cent from the previous year.
