Dubai International Airport has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing pre-pandemic passenger levels, recording 41.6 million travelers during the first half of this

year.

The primary gateway of Dubai witnessed a robust 49% surge in passenger traffic during the first six months of the year, compared to the same period in 2022, slightly exceeding figures from 2019. This positive growth trend was announced by Dubai Airports on Tuesday.

Among the top destination countries, India took the lead with six million passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and the United States. In terms of city destinations, London emerged on top with 1.7 million passengers, followed by Mumbai and Riyadh, each with 1.2 million passengers.

Paul Griffiths, the Chief Executive of Dubai Airports, expressed their commitment to ensuring a positive travel experience for all passengers. As the recovery continues, Griffiths anticipates the airport to serve 85 million passengers by the year-end, merely 1.6% below the annual traffic recorded in 2019.

With a strong demand observed in July and the upcoming seasonal peak coinciding with school reopenings in August, Dubai is preparing for a busy remainder of the year. The city reopened to tourism in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, standing out as a destination while many others remained closed. Since then, Dubai's revival of international travel has led to a robust rebound.

In 2022, Dubai welcomed over 14 million international tourists, nearly doubling the previous year's numbers, as reported by the Department of Economy and Tourism. Moreover, Dubai Airport has sustained its reputation as the world's busiest international airport for a decade. Serving 257 destinations across 104 countries with the participation of 91 international airlines, the transit hub continues to be a pivotal point of global connectivity. Photo by VtTN, Wikimedia commons.