|
The
result cements Dubai's bounce back from the coronavirus
pandemic, surpassing the previous record set in 2018 for the
first time. Today, the airport feels like it is bursting at the
seams with aircraft movements and crowds moving through its
cavernous terminals as authorities plan to move operations in 10
years to the city-state's second airport after a nearly $35
billion upgrade.
Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced
the figure on the social media platform X. The state-owned
airport is home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, which powers
the network of state-owned and state-linked businesses known as
"Dubai Inc."
“Dubai is the airport of the world ... and a new world in the
aviation sector,” Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
In 2023, the airport, known as DXB, had 86.9 million passengers.
Its 2019 traffic was 86.3 million passengers. It had 89.1
million passengers in 2018 — its previous busiest-ever year
before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through
in 2022.
A real-estate boom and the city's highest-ever tourism numbers
have made Dubai a destination as well as a layover. However, the
city is now grappling with increasing traffic and costs
pressuring both its Emirati citizens and the foreign residents
who power its economy.
In 10 years, Dubai plans to move its airport operations to Al
Maktoum International Airport, some 45 kilometers (28 miles)
away from DXB. The airport, which opened in 2010 with one
terminal and is known as DWC, served as a parking lot for
Emirates’ double-decker Airbus A380s and other aircraft during
the pandemic. But since then, it has slowly returned to life
with cargo and private flights. It also hosts the biennial Dubai
Air Show and has a vast, empty desert in which to expand.
DXB and DWC serve 106 airlines flying to 272 cities in 107
countries across the world.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
