Dubai International Airport’s Passenger Traffic Surpasses 2019 Levels in First Half of 2023

Dubai International Airport (DXB) has announced that its passenger numbers in the first half of 2023 surpassed those recorded during the same period in 2019. The airport welcomed 41.6 million guests in H1 2023, slightly edging past the figures from the first half of 2019.

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The second quarter saw passenger traffic rise by 42.7% year-on-year, totaling 20.3 million. May stood out as the most active month with 6.9 million travelers. This surge in the second quarter brought the H1 2023 total to 41.6 million guests, a 49.1% increase from the 27.9 million guests reported in H1 2022.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, highlighted the significance of the numbers: «The figures from the first half of the year show a positive trend for Dubai International. Our focus remains on maintaining efficient operations and guest satisfaction.»

In terms of baggage handling, DXB reported processing approximately 37.2 million bags in H1 2023. Notably, 92% of these were handed to customers within 45 minutes of their arrival.

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On the passenger traffic front, India was identified as the leading destination country from DXB with 6 million guests. Saudi Arabia followed with 3.1 million guests, the UK with 2.8 million guests, Pakistan with 2 million guests, the U.S. with 1.8 million guests, Russia with 1.3 million guests, and Germany with 1.2 million guests. In terms of cities, London led the tally with 1.7 million guests, closely followed by Mumbai and Riyadh, each reporting 1.2 million guests.

Cargo operations at DXB experienced a 16.1% increase in Q2, reaching 453,500 tonnes. However, the overall freight volume for H1 2023 witnessed a decrease, recording 853,500 tonnes, a 6.2% drop from the previous year.

DXB’s flight operations also reflected growth. The airport managed 201,800 flights in the first half, representing a 30.2% year-on-year increase and a 13% rise when compared to H1 2019. The average number of passengers per flight was 214, and the load factor settled at 77%.

Concluding his statement, Griffiths provided a forward-looking perspective: «Given the strong demand observed in July, we anticipate the latter half of 2023 to remain busy. We are currently projecting around 85 million guests by the end of the year.»