Dubai airport expects nearly 2m passengers during holiday season

WAM

Dubai International (DXB) will remain “exceptionally busy” over the remainder of the holiday season and well into the New Year, with nearly two million passengers expected to pass through the airport, state-owned WAM news agency reported.

DXB’s average daily passenger numbers have risen almost back to pre-pandemic levels on the back of a strong recovery throughout 2022, making this latest seasonal peak one of the busiest since 2019.

From Tuesday, over the ensuing eight-day period, nearly two million passengers are expected to pass through DXB, with average daily traffic reaching as high as 245,000 passengers. January 2, 2023, is expected to be the busiest day, with traffic exceeding 257,000 passengers.

December’s increase in passenger numbers is down to a combination of factors, including the seasonal influx of visitors, the recently concluded World Cup football event in Doha and Dubai’s popularity as a tourist destination.

In November, Dubai Airports increased its annual forecast for passenger traffic at DXB to 64.3 million following its strong performance in the third quarter and hopes for a busy end to the year.

Average monthly traffic exceeded the six-million mark throughout the third quarter at DXB. The airport recorded 18.5 million passengers in Q3 2022, the first time quarterly traffic reached pre-pandemic levels.

“The growth in passenger traffic has been terrific throughout the year and continues to exceed our expectations by a margin,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.