In a post-pandemic increase, Dubai International Airport handled 86.9 million passengers last year

United Arab Emirates: Just before the coronavirus epidemic grounded all foreign flights, the volume of travelers using Dubai foreign Airport, the biggest airport in the world, skyrocketed last year, surpassing its total for 2019.

Even if it is still not quite at its peak as of 2018, the 2023 statistics demonstrated how far the DXB airport has recovered from the epidemic. The volume of travelers going through its expansive, air-conditioned terminals—which are home to long-haul airline Emirates in Dubai—has long been used as a gauge for the global aviation sector as well as the general strength of this city-state’s economy.

The airport handled 86.9 million passengers in total in 2023. In 2019, the airport handled 86.3 million passenger journeys. Prior to the pandemic, the airport had 89.1 million passengers in 2018, making it its largest year ever. In 2022, 66 million people used the airport.

The statement was made on Monday by Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths on the government-run radio program Dubai Eye.

India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan are the airport’s most popular travel destinations, accounting for a considerable portion of passenger traffic. Given that Dubai is one of the few locations where Russians may freely go amid Moscow’s conflict with Ukraine, Russia has also been a significant market.

One of the first places in the epidemic to welcome visitors again was Dubai. As a result, the city-state’s tourist economy saw a boost as travelers and transit passengers were drawn out of airport lounges by attractions like the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest structure, and the opulent Burj Al-Arab luxury hotel.

In February, Dubai said that 17.15 million foreign overnight guests came to the city in 2023, marking its highest-ever tourist figures. Hotel occupancy was almost 77% on average. Its real estate boom-and-bust market, meanwhile, is still booming and getting close to all-time high prices.

This year, the airport anticipates serving 88.8 million people, almost reaching an all-time record. However, it would put more strain on the already overburdened airport, which saw 416,405, the most aircraft takeoffs and landings in a single year ever.

Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central is the second airport in Dubai, located in the city’s extreme southernmost region around 45 kilometers (28 miles) away. Mostly used for freight and private aircraft flights, the second airport opened in 2010 and was used by commercial airlines during Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup. The schedule for Emirates and other big airlines to be stationed there has been continuously postponed.

Just over 100 foreign airlines link Dubai foreign Airport to 262 destinations across 104 countries globally.