DWC passenger growth rockets 35 percent in the first half of 2017

Passenger traffic at Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai’s second airport, grew by more than 35 percent in the first half of 2017, according to operator Dubai Airports.

DWC welcomed 554,993 passengers during the first six months of 2017 compared to 410,278 passengers during the same period last year, a rise of 35.3 percent.

The first half numbers were boosted by consistent growth in the second quarter during which passenger traffic totalled 221,213, up 45.1 percent compared to 152,465 during the same period in 2016.

The top source regions for DWC in terms of passenger volumes during the first half were Eastern Europe (207,798 passengers), the GCC (170,424), Western Europe (61,459) and the Indian subcontinent (55,785 passengers).

The average passenger per flight movement during the first half was 121, up 34.4 percent compared to 90 during the first six months of 2016.

Freight volumes at DWC also increased, up 3.2 percent year on year to reach 443,835 tonnes at the end of H1, 2017 compared to 430,132 tonnes at the end of H1, 2016.

“Overall, DWC performed well in the first half of the year with both scheduled and chartered carriers contributing to traffic volumes at the airport,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. 

“DWC’s continuing growth as an important travel and logistics hub is driven by advantages the facility offers to both airlines and passengers – from easy availability of slots to quick turn-around times, access to new catchment area, and quick transit times for passengers.

DWC is currently served by eight passenger carriers, operating an average of 95 flights weekly to 14 international destinations.

It is also home to 26 scheduled cargo operators that fly to as many as 70 destinations around the world. DWC is undergoing a major expansion that will see its annual capacity increase from the existing five million passengers to 26 million passengers.