Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport surpasses pre-pandemic levels

Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, saw 41.6M visitors in H1 2023, surpassing the traffic recorded in H1 2019 by more than 100%. Compared to H1 2022, the number increased by 49.1%

India was the top destination country, followed by KSA, the UK and Pakistan. Other popular destinations include the USA, Russia and Germany.

Amidst such a tremendous performance, Dubai International Airport raised its full-year 2023 passenger forecast to 85M from 83.6M. According to the Chief Executive of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths, as the current seasonal peak coincides with the reopening of schools in August, the rest of the year will be very busy.

The number of international visitors to the emirate surpassed the pre-pandemic level amidst a boom in the hospitality and tourism industry. Dubai was quick to reopen after the pandemic, which led to an influx of people eager to relax from lockdowns and restrictions.

As the travel demand is rising, Dubai is looking to expand its Dubai World Central airport. According to the developer, Dubai South, it is set to become the world’s largest airport. The planned annual capacity is 250M passengers.