Dubai International Airport has released its latest passenger figures, recording the busiest quarter in its history.
The central airport received 23,052,060 passengers in the first quarter, 8.3 percent more than in the same period last year.
India was the top destination for flights from Dubai International during the quarter, with 3.1 million customers, followed by Saudi Arabia (two million) and the United Kingdom (1.5 million).
In terms of cities, London was the top market with a total of 961,000 passengers heading to the UK capital during the first quarter, followed by Riyadh (795,000) and Jeddah (669,000).
Emirates serves London's Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted airports with more than 80 weekly flights on all three routes from Dubai International.
Last year the airport welcomed just under 87 million travelers, placing it second on the list of the world's busiest centers behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. This number is expected to increase to 91 million in 2024.
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Commenting on the news, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said:
“DXB’s strong growth trajectory continued in the first quarter of the year, with the center posting truly impressive numbers. Thanks in part to the proliferation of cities that our base airlines Emirates and flydubai have added to our network in recent months.
“As Dubai emerges as a global leader in attracting talent, businesses and tourists from around the world, our focus remains on maintaining growth momentum and improving the overall airport experience for every guest who passes through our terminals.
“With a strong start to the second quarter and an optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, we have revised our forecast for the year to 91 million guests, surpassing our previous annual traffic record of 89.1 million in 2018.”
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