The number of passengers using Dubai International Airport nearly tripled during the second quarter, although capacity was reduced after one of its two runways closed for 45 days due to renovations.
The world’s busiest international airport handled 14.2 million passengers, up 191 percent year-on-year during the three-month period ending June. It maintained its exceptional performance and achieved quarterly growth for the ninth consecutive time since the beginning of the global pandemic, according to what the Dubai Airports Corporation announced today, Wednesday.
In the first half of this year, Dubai International Airport received about 27.8 million passengers, recording a record increase of 161.9 percent compared to the first half of 2021. These strong results indicate that 67.5 percent of passenger traffic rates were achieved through Dubai International Airport during the period or same in 2019 before the global pandemic hit.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: “The strong performance witnessed by Dubai International Airport during the second quarter constitutes a great achievement and an important milestone in its history, to occupy an advanced position in the recovery index within the aviation sector, not only for its ability to accommodate large passenger traffic but also for excellence in providing the highest standards of service in the world.”
Dubai Airports now expects 62.4 million passengers in 2022, raising its annual traffic forecast from a previous forecast in May of 58.3 million.
The recovery at the airport comes during a strong run in international travel. In June, international traffic rose by about 230 percent year-on-year, thanks to the lifting of travel restrictions across much of Asia Pacific, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
