Dubai Airport Enjoys Double-digit Growth
DUBAI — Dubai International Airport, or DIA, has recorded a double-digit growth year-on-year in passenger traffic for the second consecutive month in July despite global economic downturn.
The airport, home to the Middle East biggest airline Emirates, said passenger traffic jumped 12.6 per cent to 3.79 million in July, the highest since May 2008, at the three terminals handled by DIA.
“The double-digit increases we’ve seen in the past two months are the direct result of a boost in passenger numbers from Emirates and other long-haul network carriers and continual growth in the low cost sector,” Dubai Airports Chief Executive Officer Paul Griffiths said.
The year-to-date traffic at the end of July stood at 23.15 million passengers, up 6.1 per cent from the same period last year, the company said.
On the other hand Abu Dhabi International Airport in Capital recorded an 8.1 per cent rise in passenger traffic in the first-half of 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier. On average 26,966 passengers a day passed through the airport, according to Abu Dhabi Airport Company, the operator of the airport.
“As for cargo, considering that airports around the world continue to record sharp decline in freight traffic, we have fared well,” Griffiths said.
Cargo traffic for July rose 1.9 per cent from the same month last year, reversing the fall in traffic recorded in June, DIA said. Dubai Airports Cargo handled 160,289 tonnes of freight in July 2009 compared to 157,253 tonnes during the same period last year. Year-to-date cargo volumes total 1,035,118 tonnes compared to 1,038,807 tonnes in 2008, a marginal fall of 0.3 per cent.
Griffiths said that although the outlook for the remainder of the year is positive, growth figures for August and September are likely to fluctuate, reflecting the annual movement of the timing of the holy month of Ramadan.
“The Middle East continues to demonstrate vibrant growth during the global economic downturn and Dubai International is at the epicentre of that growth,” Griffiths said.
DIA is now ranked the world’s 6th busiest airport in terms of international passengers according to Airport Council International’s, or ACI.
The ACI international freight traffic monthly ranking also lists Dubai Airports Cargo as the world’s 4th busiest for international air cargo.
The decline in airline passenger numbers on international markets slowed from 9.2 per cent in May to 7.1 per cent in June, the International Air Transport Association said on Tuesday.
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