Passenger traffic at UAE airports increases 15%

DXB

Passenger traffic at UAE airports rose 15 percent year on year to 36.5 million in the first three months of 2024, according to data released by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) 

Arrivals reached 10.7 million, while departures stood at 10.9 million. The number of transit passengers was 14.9 million, the state-run Wam news agency reported.

The air cargo sector grew 32 percent year on year in the first quarter, handling 1.1 million tonnes. This included 269,526 tonnes of imports, 119,490 tonnes of exports, and 714,446 tonnes of transit goods. National carriers managed 68 percent of the total air cargo movement during this period.

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Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director-general of GCAA, said the strategic opening of new markets for national carriers was facilitated by 189 global air transport agreements. 

He added that these agreements have been instrumental in fostering international partnerships and promoting the open skies policy.

Dubai International (DXB) said passenger numbers rose 8.4 percent annually to 23 million through its terminals.

Total passenger traffic for the quarter reached more than 23 million, with January recording the highest monthly traffic at nearly 8 million.

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“Our focus remains on sustaining growth momentum and enhancing the overall airport experience for every guest passing through our terminals,” said DXB CEO Paul Griffiths. 

With a strong start to the second quarter and an optimistic outlook for the rest of the year, the airport has revised its forecast for 2024 to 91 million passengers, surpassing the previous annual traffic record of 89.1 million passengers in 2018, he added.

India remained DXB’s top destination country, with passenger traffic reaching 3.1 million, followed by Saudi Arabia (2 million), the UK (1.5 million), and Pakistan (1.1 million). 

Other contributors include the US (836,000), Russia (725,000), and Germany (728,000). 

The top cities by passenger numbers were London (961,000), Riyadh (795,000) and Jeddah (669,000), followed closely by Mumbai (637,000).