6.2 million passengers pass through Dubai International in March 2014

This is the third time in four months the airport has recorded monthly traffic of more than 6 million passengers. 

Passenger traffic reached 6,285,868 in March 2014, up 7.5 per cent from the 5,846,297 achieved in the same month last year. In the first three months of the year passenger traffic rose to a record 18,361,820 passengers, up 11.4 per cent from the 16,486,417 passengers welcomed in the first quarter of  2013. 

Regionally, the Indian subcontinent again recorded the highest growth in passenger numbers in March (+112,953 passengers), followed by Western Europe (+75,283), the GCC (+60,280) and Asia (+58,851). Australasia was the fastest-expanding market in terms of percentage growth (+21.9 per cent) as a result of Emirates’ partnership with Qantas, followed by North America (+19.1 per cent) and Asia (+13.9 per cent). 

India remained the top destination country (751,390 passengers) during the month, followed by Saudi Arabia (518,555) and the UK (460,529). London emerged as Dubai International’s busiest city destination, ahead of Doha, Jeddah and Riyadh. 

Total aircraft movements rose to 32,849 in March, up 3.6 per cent from the 31,713 movements achieved in the same month last year. For the first three months of 2014, total aircraft movements totalled 94,694, 3.9 per cent higher than the 91,130 movements in the first quarter of 2013. 

Cargo volumes continued to benefit from improved growth in the world’s developed economies as well as from expanding trade with emerging countries. Freight volumes reached 228,154 tonnes in March this year, rising 6.7 per cent from the 213,748 tonnes in the same month in 2013. In the first quarter of this year freight volumes climbed 5 per cent to 613,876, up from 584,847 tonnes in the same period last year. 

“The growth in passenger and freight traffic supports our continued investment in expanding and improving our facilities at Dubai International. We not only want to increase our capacity to accommodate more passengers but continually refine the service we offer our customers,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. 

“A key element of this programme is the upgrading and refurbishment of both Dubai International’s runways over 80 days beginning May 1. We have focused our efforts over the past few months to ensure smooth operations during this period and minimising any inconvenience to our passengers while in the long run boosting safety, service and capacity levels at the airport,” he said. 

Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: “The continued growth at Dubai International Airport is driven by the robust expansion policies at flydubai and Emirates - its clear they are pulling in traffic despite the looming impact of the summer runway works. 

“The growth at the airport stems from the greater number of services provided regionally and internationally by flydubai and Emirates - this sort of expansion furthers the need to expedite additional capacity growth to cater for demand - and with Al Maktoum Airport now open to passenger flights as well as helping out during the runway works for new services, Dubai is well placed for both airports to sustain the passenger traffic growth.” 

Ahmad added: “The challenge however, will be getting more airspace up to commercial usage and dilute military needs going forward.”