Dubai's DXB sees fewer passengers in H1 amid runway closure
Dubai International welcomes 41.3 million passengers in the first half of 2019, down more than 5%. following a 45-day runway closure
Dubai International (DXB) welcomed 41.3 million passengers in the first half of 2019, down more than 5 percent following a 45-day closure of one of its runways.
DXB said it maintained its position as the world’s largest international airport by traffic volume despite the closure between April 16 and May 30 for a complete rehabilitation programme reduced the airport’s capacity.
A total of 41,277,749 customers travelled through DXB during the first half of 2019, down 5.6 percent. The closure of the southern runway halved the hub’s runway capacity leading to a reduction of 32 percent in passenger flights.
A total of 1,036,474 tonnes of air freight was handled at DXB during the first half this year, down 18.3 percent, also a result of the runway closure.
Total passenger flights during the first six months of 2019 totalled 178,383, down 11.6 percent from last year, a statement said.
It added that India remained DXB’s top destination country by passenger numbers, with traffic for the first half reaching 5.7 million customers – propelled mainly by top city destinations Mumbai and Delhi.
Saudi Arabia was number two on the list with 3.1 million customers, followed closely by the United Kingdom with 2.8 million customers. Other destination countries of note include Pakistan (1.9 million customers), the US (1.5 million) and China (1.2 million).
The top three cities were London (1.6 million customers), Mumbai (1.1 million customers) and Jeddah with just over 1 million customers each.
Operator Dubai Airports said that DXB’s smart gates helped to reduce waiting times by 25 percent in the first half of 2019.
A total of 35 million bags (down 3.9 percent) passed through the airport’s 175km long baggage system during the first six months of the year.
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