Dubai airport passenger traffic up 7.2 per cent in April with summer records expected

Double-digit growth in traffic to and from Eastern Europe and Asia underpinned the rise through Dubai International Airport. Ashraf Mohammad / Reuters

Passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, climbed 7.2 per cent from a year earlier to 6.98 million people in April, the airport’s operator said on June 13.

Double-digit growth in traffic to and from Eastern Europe and Asia underpinned the rise. Traffic increased 6.9 per cent to 27.93 million people in the first four months of this year.

Freight volume rose 4.8 per cent to 213,790 tonnes in April, while in the first four months, it increased 3.8 per cent to 828,934 tonnes. Only part of Dubai’s cargo traffic goes through Dubai International; another facility, Dubai World Central, handles pure cargo operations.

“We are very pleased with the growth so far this year and with the summer travel peak round the corner the numbers are only going to increase,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

“As is the case every summer peak, Dubai International is expected to welcome a record number of passengers. We are actively working with our partners devising a robust operational plan which will involve the deployment of additional staff.”

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