Dubai's main airport, Dubai International Airport (DXB), is forecasting a new passenger record for the current year. According to operator Dubai Airports data released on Tuesday, passenger traffic rose 8,4 percent in the first quarter compared to the previous year.
In the period from January to March, DXB handled around 23 million passengers, the operator said in a statement. This increase is attributed, among other things, to the expanded flight offerings of the home airline Emirates and its sister company Flydubai.
CEO Paul Griffiths expressed optimism about the outlook for the rest of the year, raising forecast for total passenger traffic to 91 million, which would exceed the previous annual traffic record of 89,1 million in 2018.
DXB is connected to 256 destinations in 102 countries, with India, Saudi Arabia and the UK being the three busiest countries in the first quarter. Dubai, as the largest tourism and trade center in the Middle East, plans to further expand its position.
Last month, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, announced a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport. With a capacity of up to 260 million passengers, Al Maktoum is expected to become the largest airport in the world, five times larger than DXB. The relocation of the entire operation from DXB to Al Maktoum is planned in the coming years.
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