Dubai International registered a record 5.8 million passengers in March, in step with the monthly traffic report issued by Dubai Airports.
Passenger traffic in March surged by 20.6 per cent, the very best since August 2012, to five,846,297 in comparison with 4,848,320 in March 2012, the fourth consecutive month with greater than five million passengers and a double-digit growth.
The strong showing has boosted the year so far traffic to 16,486,417, up 15.6 per cent compared with 14,261,606 recorded through the first three months of 2012.
The largest increase in total passenger number were recorded at the Western European routes – driven mainly by Emirates airline and flydubai services to destinations within the region registering the most important increase in total passenger numbers (up 227,830), followed by the AGCC (up 209,737), and the Indian subcontinent (up 202,703).
Growth remained subdued (up 2,532) on South American routes while Middle Eastern routes registered moderate growth (up 36,479).
In terms of percentage growth, eastern Europe was the fastest-expanding market (up 67.9 per cent) driven by Emirates airline’s launch of recent services to Poland and flydubai’s service to Macedonia, followed by Asia Pacific (up 26.5 per cent).
Dubai International recorded a complete of 31,713 aircraft movements in March, up 8.3 per cent in comparison with 29,276 in March 2012.
The year thus far movements increased 5.9 per cent to achieve 91,130, in comparison with 86,014 recorded throughout the first three months in 2012.
Paul Griffiths, chief executive, Dubai Airports said: “We have had a particularly successful first quarter highlighted by record growth and the outlet of the world’s first purpose built A380 facility.
“I am particularly pleased that we’re no longer only the world’s second busiest international hub but in addition some of the efficient with 208 passengers per aircraft movement way to our growing variety of A380 operations which led the realm in 2012 with 7,259 A380 flights to twenty-eight destinations.”
He added that traffic looked set to continue its upsurge inside the second quarter adding to the import of Dubai Airports’ ongoing expansion projects at Dubai International.