Dubai Airport breaks record with 44.9M passengers in 2024

Dubai International Airport has broken a passenger record for the first half of the year, handling 44.9 million travelers from January to June, an 8% increase from the 41.6 million recorded during the same period in 2023. Despite the impressive growth, the airport is struggling to meet the rising demand.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, emphasized the milestone’s significance, stating, "The record performance in the first half of the year underscores our strategic value as a global aviation hub." He also expressed optimism for the remainder of the year, projecting that 2024 could see up to 91.8 million passengers, surpassing the airport’s previous peak of 89.1 million in 2018. Last year, passenger traffic totaled 86.9 million.

Interestingly, the airport’s traffic has remained resilient despite ongoing Middle East tensions. Griffiths attributed this success to strong demand from key markets like India and a gradual recovery in other regions, such as China.

However, Dubai International’s annual capacity is capped at 120 million passengers, and its urban location limits potential expansions. To address this, Dubai has initiated expansion plans for Al Maktoum International Airport, the region’s second-largest airport, which currently handles a smaller share of flights.

Recent developments include the construction of a new terminal at Al Maktoum, with ambitions to make it the world's largest airport and eventually replace Dubai International as the primary airport for the region. Authorities project that, with a nearly $35 billion investment, Al Maktoum will eventually accommodate up to 260 million passengers annually, with the first phase expected to be completed in 10 years, reaching a capacity of 150 million passengers per year.

[Information sourced from Money Review, AFP]