Dubai: Did you recently catch a flight at Dubai International Airport and find its cavernous spaces like a well-oiled virtual machine — busy but elegant with bustling Duty Free shops — through which people from all over the world congregate?
And if you find UAE's mega aviation gateway packed, whether at the immigration, check-in counters or boarding gates, it's just going to further cement Dubai's status as a global aviation hub.
Already, it's the world's busiest airport for international travel and, if the latest passenger numbers are anything to go by, the airport gets busier every year.
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According to the latest data, Dubai International Airport has just reached a new record, with the total number of travellers passing through its terminals hitting 8.37 million in August.
The visitor numbers recorded about two months back surpassed the previous year’s data by more than 100,000 passengers.
In August last year, the airport served 8.23 million travellers.
A ranking by Airports Council International showed that Dubai continues to stay ahead of the pack in terms of passenger traffic.
Nearly 90 million people passed through Dubai International in 2017, up by 5.6 per cent from a year earlier, making it the busiest hub for international travel for yet another year.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said the latest data showed that Dubai International has achieved another milestone.
“It’s another milestone for Dubai Airports as we continue to break records and set the bar even higher,” he said.
58 years
The airport has just celebrated its 58th year in the aviation industry. Since it opened its first runway last September 30, 1960, the airport has served more than 900 million flyers.
Griffiths said the latest passenger numbers "speak volumes" about the airport's growth.
"Our aim is to continue pushing the boundaries on experience and provide customers with the best possible service," said Griffiths.
"We are making progress on the front as well with shorter queue times, world-leading [food and beverage] and retail and other touches like spas, swimming pools and trampolines that help us stand out from the crowd,” he added.
Where do most of Dubai airport customers travel to?
India topped the list of destinations for travellers passing through Dubai International, recording a total traffic of 1,012,124 in August.
Saudi Arabia came second with more than 613,000 passengers, followed by the United Kingdom with more than 603,000.
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