Passenger traffic at DWC surges 79.8 per cent in Q1

Dubai’s second airport welcomed 257,813 passengers during the first three months of the year, an increase of 79.8 per cent compared to 143,374 in the corresponding period in 2015. The sharp increase in passenger traffic was spurred by demand on routes served by major carriers including flydubai and Qatar Airways among others and increased frequencies in 2016. The airport is served by 16 passenger carriers operating over 190 flights weekly to 25 international destinations. 

Cargo volumes at Dubai World Central contracted in the first three months of 2016, with the facility handling 198,295 tonnes of freight compared to 213,006 tonnes in Q1 of 2015, down 6.9 per cent. DWC is home to 18 scheduled pure cargo operators that fly to as many as 57 destinations around the world. 

Aircraft movements totalled 10,631 in the first quarter of 2016, a marginal decrease of 0.6 per cent from the 10,699 movements recorded during the corresponding period last year. 

“We are very pleased with the growth at DWC and expect the trend to continue, said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “The growth projection is based on two key factors. First is the planned move of flydubai’s entire operation to DWC by end of 2017. Second is the sheer convenience of using the facility. It takes only minutes for passengers to get from kerb to gate and the arrivals process is similarly efficient. Customers who use DWC once, usually come back as a result.”  

Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: “DWC's sharp rise in traffic by nearly 80% in just three months of this year highlights the effective operations there that allow passengers to seamlessly arrive and depart without the congestion seen at Dubai International. 

“There will be immense pressure to expand development at DWC to cope with burgeoning traffic growth, especially as flydubai gears up to move there next year and provide additional capacity for Emirates' organic expansion at Dubai International as it leaves that airport.” 

Ahmad added: “DWC will need to grow it's physical size to make itself more attractive for airlines to commence services to and from the airport, but this has to be coupled with an appreciable increase in commercial airspace corridors to ease congestion over the skies of Dubai.”