Dubai: Over 7.8 million passengers travelled through Dubai International airport in March, marking a 4.5 per cent increase over March 2017 as the Easter holiday period drove traffic.
The figure brings passenger traffic in the first quarter of 2018 to 22.7 million, inching up 1.1 per cent over the 22.5 million recorded in the same quarter last year, according to data from operator Dubai Airports.
In March, the number of passenger flights fell to 34,126, down 1.5 per cent year-on-year, with flight numbers in the first quarter falling 1.8 per cent to 98,839 from 100,638 in the first quarter of 2017.
The average number of passengers per flight rose, however, in the first three months of the year to 230 from 224 in the same period in 2017, a 2.7 per cent increase.
London topped the list of destination cities in March from Dubai International (with 348,434 passengers), followed by Mumbai and Bangkok (with 216,970 passengers and 208,873 passengers respectively).
India remained the top destination country in March, followed by the UK, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Germany.
Eastern Europe recorded the largest percentage increase, with traffic jumping 29.8 per cent during the month, followed by Russian states (Commonwealth of Independent States), where traffic rose 28.3 per cent year-on-year.
In terms of freight volumes, 222,045 tonnes of cargo passed through Dubai International in March, down 5.7 per cent over March 2017.
