DXB passenger traffic hits 7.2 million in September

Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport (DXB) reached 7.2 million in September, according to new statistics from Dubai Airports.

According to the data, the airport reached 7,215,182 passengers in September, 1.7 percent more than the 7,094,738 that went through the airport during the same period in 2016.

The softening of the growth, Dubai Airports said, was due to the splitting of seasonal travel rushes during Eid. Year to date traffic continued an upward trend and stands at 66,568,550, 5.8 percent more than the 62,945,886 recorded in the first three quarters of 2016.

South America saw the most growth over September, with a 46.2 percent increase, followed by Eastern Europe (18.6 percent) and East Asia (15.7 percent). India remained the top destination in terms of passengers numbers with 931,193 passengers, followed by the UK (548,762) and Saudi Arabia (536,187).

The top destinations were London (346,018 passengers), Kuwait (213.713) and Mumbai (182,597).

The average number of passengers per flight during the first nine months of the year rose 6.8 percent from 210 in 2016 to 224. Flight movements in the first nine months of the year totaled 307,683, a 1.9 percent contraction compared to 313,579 over the same period in 2016.

Additionally, Dubai Airports note that September freight volumes totaled 217,120 tonnes, 5.8 percent more than the 205,142 tonnes recorded in 2016. Year to date, cargo has totaled 1,958,018 tonnes, a 3.5 percent increase on the 1,891,419 tonnes recorded during the same period in 2016.

“Dubai International’s growth throughout the first nine months of 2017 has been very satisfying,” Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffeths said. “We are now well set for a great finish to the year thanks to the internationally popular entertainment and sports events lined up for the upcoming winter season here in Dubai.”