Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport increased 22.6 percent to 3.5 million in February, up from 3.1 million passengers for the same month last year. The growth in passenger numbers was driven by an increase in capacity through Western Europe, India, and the Middle East routes. Dubai Airports said in a statement the increase is due to a “strong ramp up of capacity” in these three regions by different carriers. Passenger traffic at the airport reached a record 3.8 million in January.
Cargo handled in February was 26.7 percent higher at 171,707 tons compared to the same month in 2009. The company explained in its statement “Rising shippers’ confidence and the re-stocking of inventories worldwide is influencing freight volumes that are already buoyed by increasing economic activity, particularly Asia.” CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffith, said he expects growth will continue for the rest of the year, in part because of an increase in global economic activity, and additional routes that will be launched Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates Airlines.
