Record freight results from Dubai World Central

Freight volumes and passenger traffic at Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) reached record levels in 2014 according to the year-end traffic report released today by operator Dubai Airports.
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DWC welcomed 845,046 passengers in its first full year of passenger operations, boosted mainly by the arrival of a number of passenger carriers during the runway refurbishment programme at Dubai International from May 1 to July 20. The annual figures were also augmented by traffic during the fourth quarter, during which DWC handled 110,920 passengers.
Industry analyst Saj Ahmad said:” DWC benefited from the 80 day runway work at Dubai International with the shift of extra passenger, airline and freight movements.
“The most beneficial aspect of DWC's capabilities demonstrates it's prowess in being able to accommodate short term surges in passenger and freight handling at short notice. While DWC is still years away from being a fully fledged airport with maximum capacity, the airport has shown that it has the management skills and infrastructure to cope with rapid changes.
“As DWC expands, there'll be more activity as passenger numbers rise in tandem with more airlines operating there. The performance seen in 2014 augurs well for DWC's future and what it's capable of.”
Freight volumes at DWC surged 262.5 per cent to 758,371 tonnes in 2014 compared to 209,209 tonnes in 2013, due to the completion of the shift of all freighter operators from DXB to DWC by May 2014. The airport registered robust growth in the fourth quarter with cargo volumes reaching 238,520 tonnes, up 278.4 per cent compared to 63,028 tonnes recorded during the same period in 2013.
The increased activity in passenger and freight operations at DWC propelled the number of annual aircraft movements by 91.6 per cent to 47,655 compared to 24,871 during 2013. The airport recorded 11,687 aircraft movements during the fourth quarter, up 47 per cent compared to 7,948 during the corresponding period in 2013.
“It was a very important year for Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central as it played a critical role during the runway refurbishment programme at Dubai International by accommodating a substantial volume of passenger traffic that was diverted from the main hub during the course of the project. The scale of DWC’s operations and the significance of its role will continue to grow in 2015, particularly as Dubai’s main hub for pure cargo operators, as airlines take advantage of the airport’s facilities, road feeder service to DXB and bonded link to the Jebel Ali port,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.