According to Dubai Airports, after seeing an 8% year-over-year increase in the first half of the year, the main airport in Dubai is expected to handle a record number of passengers this year.
In the first half of the year, Dubai Airports reported that 44.9 million passengers travelled through Dubai International Airport (DXB), which is the world’s busiest airport for international travel. The airport experienced strong demand from important markets like China and India.
Over a million passengers travelled an increase of 80% from the previous year and 90% of 2019 levels. China was severely affected by restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have a very optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, and we are on track to break records with 91.8 million annual guests forecasted for 2024,” CEO Paul Griffiths said in a statement.
Griffiths projected 91 million passengers for the year in May 2024, exceeding the airport’s previous record of 89.11 million set in 2018. A record 17.15 million foreign overnight visitors visited Dubai in 2023, making it a major hub for trade and tourism in the Middle East.
The city has seen a huge influx of foreign visitors due to its generous income tax policies, extensive infrastructure spending, and welcoming immigration policies.
The new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, which is estimated to cost 128 billion dirhams (USD 35 billion), was approved in April by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.
The Sheikh stated at the time that Al Maktoum International Airport will be five times larger than DXB and have the capacity to handle 260 million passengers, making it the largest airport in the world.
He also mentioned that all operations at Dubai Airport would be moved to Al Maktoum in the upcoming years. DXB has connections to 269 locations in 106 different nations.
According to Dubai Airports, the top three countries by number of passengers were, in order, India, Saudi Arabia, Britain, and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the airport will roll out new developments in the coming months including colour-coded car parks for easier navigation.
“As part of Dubai Airports’ continuous efforts to enhance the guest experience, with a focus on operational excellence and seamless travel experiences, new developments will be rolled out in the coming months. These include colour-coded car parks for easier navigation,” the DXB authority said in a statement.
According to Dubai International’s website, parking charges at Terminal 1 range from Dh15 per hour to Dh125 a day at Terminal 2 and from Dh5 to Dh125 at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Each additional day’s cost is Dh100 for parking.