Dubai airport passenger traffic climbs 15%

PASSENGER GROWTH: Just over nine million people passed through Dubai airport, pictured, during the first quarter. (Getty Images)

Dubai International Airport said on Monday passenger traffic jumped 15% during the first quarter of this year, while cargo handling rose 10%.

The airport said just over nine million people passed through the regional travel hub during the quarter compared to just over eight million for the same period in 2007.

March recorded the highest figures of the quarter with 3.25 million passengers passing through the airport, while February registered the lowest figures with 2.97 million.

Passenger traffic is forecast to cross 40 million this year, rising to 60 million by 2010.

A total of 34.3 million passengers passed through the airport in 2007, up 19% on 2006.

Mohammed Ahli, director general of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said one the major factor behind the airport’s high growth rates was its ‘open skies’ policy.

“We have had new airlines joining us periodically…and our destination network has also expanded rapidly especially in recent years,” Ahli said in a statement.

“In 2008 the list of airlines serving Dubai has so far risen to 124, an addition of four since 2007, while we have added as many new destinations to our network and it presently stands at 207.”

The total amount of cargo handled by the airport during the first quarter reaching 399,718 tonnes compared to 362,919 tonnes for the same period last year.

March was the busiest month for cargo with over 144,954 tonnes handled, while February showed greater year-on-year growth, up 12.1%.

There were a total of 68,869 aircraft movements during the quarter, an increase of 8.5% year-on-year.

According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is set for the largest aviation growth in the world between 2008 and 2011, almost 40% higher than the global average.

Projects across the region have been valued at over $68 billion, with $21 billion in Dubai alone. Dubai’s new $10 billion Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali is set to become the world’s largest international airport.

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