Summary
- Mega-hub success: Dubai International Airport handles a record 44.9 million passengers, proving that experts were wrong about their post-pandemic travel trends.
- Strong demand: Expats are driving traffic to DXB from key markets such as India, China, Saudi Arabia and the UK, maintaining growth momentum.
- Focus on efficiency: DXB aims to improve the passenger experience through fast passport control, speedy baggage handling and improvement plans.
Last week, Dubai International Airport, a mega hub in the Middle East, announced that it had set a new passenger record in the first six months of the year, handling 44.9 million guests. The airport also set a record for the number of bags handled in the first half of the year, handling 39.7 million bags.
Mega hubs still work
When business travel was shut down during the pandemic, many experts said it would never recover and everyone would be meeting on Zoom for years to come. The impending arrival of the ultra-long-haul Airbus A350 and A321XLR aircraft has also been cited as a reason for stronger demand for direct flights. And while that may be true for Australia, demand for mega hub airports seems to be getting stronger and stronger.
Photo: Karol Ciesluk | Shutterstock
In the first six months of this year, H1 2024, Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 44.9 million passengers, 8% more than in the same period last year. The busiest month was January, when the airport welcomed 7.9 million guests, while in the three months to 30 June (Q2 2024) it handled 21.8 million passengers, an increase of 7.5% year-on-year. Aircraft movements in the first half of the year totaled 216,000, an average of 213 passengers per aircraft, representing a load factor of 77%.
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While the airport handled nearly 45 million passengers, Dubai attracted 9.31 million international visitors in the first half of 2024, with transfer traffic accounting for 44% of airport users. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said the record-breaking performance underscores the airport’s strategic importance as a global aviation hub and gateway to the city, driving growth and enhancing the airport experience for every guest.
“Strong demand from key source markets such as India and the gradual but sure revival of markets such as China have contributed significantly to our success. We are very optimistic about the rest of the year and are on track to break records with 91.8 million forecast annual guests in 2024.”
Photo: Dubai Airshow
56% of airport users were direct travelers to Dubai. Due to the large expat community, the most important markets were nearby countries such as India and Saudi Arabia. In the first half of 2024, India maintained its position as DXB’s top destination with 6.1 million passengers, while traffic from China exceeded one million, representing 80% year-on-year growth and a recovery to pre-pandemic levels of 90%.
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Strong demand from expat markets
After India, the most popular destinations for Dubai International are Saudi Arabia with 3.7 million passengers, followed by the United Kingdom with 2.9 million and Pakistan with 2.3 million guests. Other strong markets are the USA (1.7 million), Russia (1.3 million) and Germany (1.3 million), while the most popular city destinations were London (1.8 million), Riyadh (1.6 million) and Mumbai (1.2 million).
Photo: Dubai International Airport
With the airport significantly exceeding 2019 levels, the focus now is on improving efficiency and the overall passenger experience as they move through the terminals. Several improvements are underway and will be implemented in the coming months, although some of the current operational statistics are already impressive, including these insights from the real-time monitoring system:
- In the first half of 2024, 98% of guests had to wait less than 10 minutes at passport control on departure and 10% had to wait less than 15 minutes at passport control on arrival.
- 95% of passengers waited less than three minutes at the departure security check.
- 92% of all incoming baggage was delivered to passengers landing at DXB at a stand within 45 minutes of the aircraft’s arrival.
Dubai International serves 101 international airlines connecting 269 destinations in 106 countries to the United Arab Emirates. It is the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic, surpassing 2019 levels with 87 million passengers in 2023 and expected to rise to 91.8 million this year.
