64.5 million passengers at Dubai International Airport in 9 months

Dubai Airports has revealed that passenger traffic is expected to continue to recover until the end of the year to reach 86.8 million passengers through Dubai International Airport (DXB), surpassing the number of passengers recorded in 2019. The outlook was driven by significant passenger growth in the first nine months of the year, as well as the expected significant momentum in visitor numbers during the fourth quarter of this year.

The positive results achieved during the second half in passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's largest international airport, continued in the third quarter of this year, reaching 22.9 million passengers. The third quarter of the year became the busiest quarter in terms of passenger numbers since 2019, with an average monthly traffic of 7.6 million.

The total number of passengers during the first nine months of this year reached 64.5 million, an increase of 39.3% compared to the same period in 2022, and 1% higher than in 2019.

Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Airports, said: "We are delighted that Dubai International has passed its pre-pandemic levels by a good margin almost a year ahead of our baseline estimates. Our outlook remains positive for the remainder of this year and next, and this requires us to continue to work hard in coordination with our strategic partners, and intensify efforts to maintain the satisfaction of our guests and meet the expected increase in passenger traffic."

"We have overcome the challenges during the recovery period and have recovered to our maximum potential in a relatively short period. We are committed to continuing to explore innovative solutions, reimagine traditional concepts and processes, leverage the latest technologies in our upcoming projects, and tackle the grand challenge of sustainability. Mega events such as the Dubai Airshow provide an ideal platform to recognise achievements and foster future growth, underscoring the pivotal role this edition plays in shaping the future of the industry."

Future prospects Dubai Airports
expects to continue to set records in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 2024, and the organisation is ramping up its operations to accommodate this projected growth, with Dubai International currently having a capacity of 100 million passengers per year. The deployment of innovative technology, the expansion and renovation of existing infrastructure, and the efficient use of airport space and resources are expected to increase the airport's capacity to 120 million passengers annually.

Dubai Airports continues to work closely with stakeholders to enhance the passenger experience in the future, based on Dubai's position as the leading destination in terms of international visitor spending, with a total profit of US$29.4 billion, as well as its position among the most advanced technology destinations.

India
topped the top destinations in the first nine months in terms of passenger traffic with 8.9 million passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia with 4.8 million and the United Kingdom with 4.4 million. Other notable destinations included Pakistan with 3.1 million passengers, the United States with 2.7 million and Russia with 1.8 million. The top cities in terms of passenger traffic included London (2.7 million passengers) and Riyadh (1.9 million passengers), followed by Mumbai (1.8 million passengers) and Jeddah (1.7 million passengers).

Operational performance DXB's baggage handling system
handled a total of 57.5 million bags in 2023 with a success rate of 99.8%, i.e. only 2.5 bags per thousand passengers not handled, an exceptional achievement for the airport, which is the largest international airport in terms of international passenger traffic. As for baggage delivery on arrival, 91% of all baggage was delivered within 45 minutes. The number of baggage handled at Dubai International Airport during the first nine months of 2023 accounted for 106.07% compared to the size of baggage in 2019.

The average waiting time at passport control was less than 11 minutes for 96.4% of arriving passengers, while the waiting time did not exceed 6 minutes for 95.1% of departing passengers at passport control. The average waiting time at the check-in gates at departure was less than 4 minutes for 98.4% of all passengers.

Freight
traffic continued to rebound in the third quarter of this year, recording an increase of 12.3% year-on-year, with 446,400 tons of cargo transported. The strong performance this year helped offset a large proportion of the decline in merchandise volumes recorded at the end of last year. Air cargo through Dubai International Airport recorded the transport of 1.3 million tonnes of cargo during the first nine months of this year, recording a slight decline of only 1%.

Flights
The number of flights at Dubai International Airport increased by 5.1% during the third quarter, reaching 106,000 flights. The total number of flights through Dubai International Airport reached 308,25 between January and September this year, up 2.<>% year-on-year.