Dubai International Airport in the UAE welcomed a record 7,727,105 passengers in August 2016, a 6.1% increase over the 7,282,256 recorded for the same month the previous year.
The year to date traffic totaled 55,850,353 passengers, up 6.9% compared with 52,264,223 recorded during the first eight months of 2015. The seasonal rush of travelers, in particular UAE residents returning for the start of the academic year, boosted the traffic leading to a bumper month.
Spurred by additional capacity and new services launched by a number of carriers including Emirates and FlyDubai, Eastern Europe was the fastest-expanding market in terms of percentage growth (67.9%), followed by Asia (13%), South America (11.7%), and the Indian subcontinent (11.7%).
India remained the top destination country (924,256 passengers), followed by the UK (584,508 passengers) and Saudi Arabia (535,280 passengers). London was the top destination city with 371,320 passengers followed closely by Doha (252,616 passengers) and Kuwait (240,712 passengers).
Aircraft movements totaled 33,827 during August 2016 compared with 34,773 movements recorded in August 2015, marginally down by 2.7%. Year to date aircraft movement totaled 276,233, up 2.9% compared with 268,360 recorded during the same period in 2015.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, the airport operator, said, “Consecutive months with record breaking traffic is a great way to mark the 56th anniversary of Dubai Airport which occurred last week. Looking back, it’s astonishing to see how quickly a tiny airport that was once a refueling stop for airlines has turned into the world’s number one international hub. Over these five and a half decades, Dubai International has welcomed more than three quarters of a billion passengers.
“As we continue to grow, our focus will continue to operate not only the world’s busiest airports but also the world’s best in terms of customer service.”