Dubai International Airport in the UAE welcomed more than 6.9 million passengers in April 2016, a 7% increase over the 6.5 million guests who visited the airport in the same month the previous year.
During the first four months of 2016, Dubai Airport welcomed 27,926,958 passengers, an increase of nearly 7% when compared with the 26,116,977 passengers for the same period in 2015.
In terms of percentage growth, Eastern Europe topped the list during April with routes to the region growing 12.6%, followed by Asia with 12.1% and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with 10.3%. The Indian subcontinent outperformed all regions in terms of growth in passenger numbers with 1,644,045 passengers, followed by Western Europe with 1,533,558, and the GCC with 1,252,282 passengers. Total aircraft movements reached 34,733 in April 2016, up 4.3% compared with 33,279 during the corresponding month in 2015.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “We are very pleased with the growth so far this year and with the summer travel peak round the corner the numbers are only going to increase. As is the case every summer peak, Dubai International is expected to welcome a record number of passengers. We are actively working with our partners devising a robust operational plan which will involve the deployment of additional staff. We will also be launching a public awareness campaign to encourage passengers to follow our travel tips and show up early to the airport to enjoy all that we have on offer before boarding their flights.”