Dubai International Airport saw a record 44.9 million travelers pass through its terminals in the first half of this year, putting the world’s busiest airport for international travel back on track to beat its all-time record, as aviation booms after the coronavirus pandemic, Report informs referring to AP.
The results released on Wednesday follow a record-breaking annual profit for the long-haul carrier Emirates that calls the airport — known as DXB — its home. The results come as Dubai plans to move operations to a nearly $35 billion new airfield in the next decade.
Meanwhile, a real-estate boom and its highest-ever tourism numbers have made the city-state in the United Arab Emirates not just a layover, but also a destination for even more travelers.
“Before the pandemic, 60% of people coming through the airport were actually transiting to other cities and countries. We’ve now got 60% coming to the city and 40% in transit,” Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told The Associated Press. “That is obviously very good because it means that traffic to the city is very dynamic and buoyant,” he added.
