Dubai Worldwide Airport, world’s busiest, on observe to beat 2019 pre-pandemic passenger figures

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Passenger numbers at Dubai Worldwide Airport this yr will eclipse the pre-pandemic passenger figures in 2019, exhibiting the robust rebound in journey after the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns that grounded plane worldwide, a high official mentioned Wednesday.

The airport, the world’s busiest for worldwide journey and residential of the long-haul service Emirates, has had 64.5 million passengers cross via its cavernous concourses via the third quarter of this yr. That places it on observe to succeed in 86.8 million passengers for the total yr, which might exceed its 2019 determine of 86.3 million passengers. It had 66 million passengers final yr.

The airport’s busiest yr was 2018, when it had 89.1 million passengers.

“We’re thrilled however not totally shocked that DXB is all set to surpass the pre-pandemic milestone properly forward of our preliminary projections by nearly a yr,” Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, mentioned in a press release.

By way of the third quarter, Dubai’s fundamental airport dealt with 308,000 complete takeoffs and landings. India, lengthy a key route for Emirates’ East-West journey technique, led all international locations in locations, adopted by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the U.S. and Russia. Emirates and different airways within the United Arab Emirates, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms, have continued to fly to Moscow even throughout Russia’s battle on Ukraine.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport stays the busiest passenger airport general.

Griffiths’ announcement comes in the course of the Dubai Air Present at Al Maktoum Worldwide Airport at Dubai World Central, the city-state’s second airfield some 45 kilometers (28 miles) away from Dubai Worldwide Airport. Whereas utilized by business airways when Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the second airport that opened in 2010 largely sees cargo and personal plane flights.

Throughout this yr’s present, Emirates has introduced a $52 billion plane buy with Boeing Co., whereas its sister airline FlyDubai purchased one other $11 billion of plane from Boeing.