Dubai's airport, which is considered the world's busiest for international travel, witnessed a record number of 44.9 million passengers passing through in the first six months of 2024. This sets a new benchmark and puts the airport on track to surpass its all-time annual record.
The figures were announced on Wednesday and come as the Gulf carrier Emirates, which is based at the airport, reported unprecedented profits for the year. Dubai has ambitious plans to shift operations to a newly constructed mega airport in the next decade as passenger traffic continues rising at a rapid pace.
Known by its code DXB, Dubai International Airport had seen 89.1 million travelers in 2018 which was its highest annual footfall achieved so far. While the pandemic saw a dip, passenger numbers rebounded strongly with 66 million in 2022 and are estimated to cross 86.9 million in 2023. Forecasts suggest the airport will welcome over 91.8 million passengers by the end of 2024, breaching all previous records.
The stellar growth underscores Dubai's prominence as a crucial hub in global aviation. Its strategic location and infrastructure have enabled it to leverage increased tourism as well as demand for travel and transit following the lifting of pandemic curbs.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, recently unveiled plans to shift the airport to a massive new airfield called Al Maktoum International Airport which is envisioned to have five parallel runways and handle over 400 aircraft simultaneously once fully operational. This multi-billion dollar project is seen as a long-term solution to accommodate Dubai's booming aviation sector amid constraints of existing facilities.
