Dubai International (DXB) has set a new benchmark for its impact on Dubai’s economy by welcoming 44.9 million passengers in the first half of the year. This represents an 8% increase compared to the same period last year, solidifying DXB's status as a top global gateway with strong connections to key international markets.
DXB’s success is driven by its key markets, including South Asia, Western Europe, the GCC, and East Asia. In the first half of 2024, India remained DXB’s top market with 6.1 million passengers.
Following India, DXB’s leading countries were Saudi Arabia with 3.7 million passengers, the United Kingdom with 2.9 million passengers, and Pakistan with 2.3 million passengers.
Other major markets included the United States with 1.7 million passengers, Russia with 1.3 million passengers and Germany with 1.3 million passengers. China also saw significant growth, with traffic surpassing 1 million passengers, marking an 80% increase year-on-year and a 90% recovery to pre-2019 levels.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, commented, "The record-breaking performance in the first half of this year highlights our strategic importance as a global aviation hub. Strong demand from key source markets such as India and the gradual but certain resurgence of markets such as China, have been instrumental in our success. We have a very optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, and we are on track to break records with 91.8 million annual guests forecasted for 2024."
Key Figures That Contribute To DXB's Success
DXB connects to 269 destinations in 106 countries, served by 101 international airlines, solidifying Dubai's role as a prominent global business and logistics hub.
At DXB, flight movement totalled 216,000 in the first half of the year, marking a 7.2% increase from the same period last year. Flight movements refer to the total number of take-offs and landings at an airport within a specific period.
In terms of the busiest month, January was the busiest month with 7.9 million guests.
For baggage handling, DXB managed 39.7 million bags, a 6.7% increase year-on-year, setting a record for baggage volume in the first half of the year. Around 92% of arriving baggage was delivered within 45 minutes of the aircraft arriving at DXB.
In terms of traffic data, direct traffic made up 56% of total traffic, up slightly, while transfer traffic accounted for 44%.
Lastly, in the second quarter of 2024, the airport saw 21.8 million guests, a 7.5% increase from the same period last year and 107,000 flight movements.