Dubai International Airport (DXB) has confirmed it received 41.6 million passengers in the first half of 2023, which is a significant indicator that airport passenger numbers are returning to levels last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This number is higher than the number of travelers who used the airport during the first half of 2019.
The airport reported a “robust performance” for the entire second quarter, with a 42.7% increase in passenger volume year over year to 20.3 million.
With 6.9 million visitors in May 2023, it was the busiest month of Q2, and H1 2023 saw an increase of 49.1% from the 27.9 million visitors counted in H1 2022.
“It’s been a rewarding first half for Dubai International and amidst increasing guest numbers, we take great pride in knowing we are continuously delivering with operational excellence and providing an exemplary guest experience […] As we recover with our H1 traffic surpassing pre-pandemic levels, we continue to remain committed to ensuring every guest who travels through our airport leaves with a smile,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.
With 6 million visitors in the first half, India maintained its lead as DXB’s most popular destination nation in terms of traffic. Saudi Arabia came in second with 3.1 million visitors, and the United Kingdom came in third with 2.8 million visitors.
Pakistan (2 million visitors), the US (1.8 million visitors), Russia (1.3 million visitors), and Germany (1.2 million visitors) are some of the other top travel destinations.
Through more than 91 international airlines, DXB is connected to 257 destinations in 104 countries.
“We started the second half with strong demand in July, and with the ongoing seasonal peak coinciding with the reopening of schools in August, we’re preparing for an exceptionally busy rest of the year. We’ve readjusted our forecast for the year from 83.6m guests to 85m, just 1.6% shy of DXB’s annual traffic in 2019,” added Griffiths.
