Dubai

Dubai International Airport H1 Surpasses Pre Pandemic Traffic Levels

Thankfully air traffic demand has been recovering rapidly from the tough times it faced in 2020 and the following years. Airlines and airports across the globe have been ramping up their capacity to keep up with the growing levels of travellers and traffic. As we moved into the second half of the year it is time operators and airports to crunch some numbers regarding H1 of 2023 and how it compares to previous years. There is some great news in this regard coming from Dubai International Airport.

Dubai International Airport Matches 2019 Traffic in 2023 H1

The first semester of 2023 saw Dubai International Airport (DXB) rack up some seriously impressive numbers. Over 41.6 million passengers have travelled via DXB airport.

What makes that figure truly impressive is that for the first time since the covid outbreak the airport has finally been able to match 2019’s performance. That 41.6 million passenger figure is just above 100% of 2019’s passenger figure. Comparing the numbers to last year, 2022, the increase is a significant 49.1%.

Dubai International Airport matches 2019 traffic figures in 2023 h1

Which Destinations Are Boosting Dubai’s Figures?

There are few to no surprises when you take a look at the breakdown of the destinations that are fuelling Dubai International Airport’s recovery. Here are the country’s that have been contributing the most, in terms of passengers, to DXB recovery in 2023 H1:

  • India with 6 million passengers
  • Saudi Arabia with 3.1 million passengers
  • UK with 2.8 million passengers
  • Pakistan with 1.8 million passengers
  • Russia with 1.3 million passengers
  • Germany with 1.2 million passengers

If you find it surprising to see Russia in the list, the explanation is quite simple. There aren’t many flights or destinations you can fly to from Russia at the moment and Dubai’s DXB Airport is one of the largest gateways to the world along with a hot tourist destination for wealthy Russians.

In terms of which cities generated the highest levels of traffic, unsurprisingly, London with its over 10 daily services is undoubtedly the highest contributor. However here’s a quick recap of the top 3 city’s with the largest traffic volumes to Dubai International Airport:

  • London with 1.7 million passengers
  • Mumbai with 1.2 million passengers
  • Riyadh with 1.2 million passengers

The Outlook For The Remainder of 2023?

From the figures Dubai International Airport authority has released, DXB should wrap up 2023 just shy of its 2019 traffic. Which very impressive, as it means that all lost ground has been virtually regained.