DXB breaks yet another traffic record for August

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed a record 7.7 million passengers in August 2016, eclipsing its previous record achieved in July, according to Dubai Airports.

Passenger traffic at DXB reached 7,727,105 compared to 7,282,256 recorded in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 6.1 percent.

The year-to-date traffic topped 55.85 million passengers, up 6.9 percent compared to the 52.26 million recorded during the first eight months of 2015.

The seasonal rush of travellers, in particular UAE residents returning for the start of the academic year, boosted traffic, which led 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 percent), followed by Asia (13 percent), South America (11.7 percent), and the Indian Subcontinent (11.7 percent).

India remained the top destination country with 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).

Baku (284.5 percent) topped the list of cities in terms of percentage growth, followed by Mashhad (118.6 percent) and Boston (88.2 percent).

The average number of passengers per flight during the month was 237 – one of the highest DXB has ever seen.

“Consecutive months with record-breaking traffic is a great way to mark the 56th anniversary of DXB,” said Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths.

“Looking back, it’s astonishing to see how quickly a tiny airport that was once a re-fuelling stop for airlines has turned into the world’s number one international hub.

“Over these five-and-a-half decades, DXB has welcomed more than three quarters of a billion passengers.”

He added: “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.”