Dubai International Airport reports its May passenger traffic grew by 7.2% to 6.7m in the month of May and by 7% to 32.3m during the first five months of 2016.

 

Dubai Airports reports that Eastern Europe was the fastest growing region (+16.6%), ahead of the GCC region with year-on-year growth of 16.3% – thanks mainly to a ‘surge’ in traffic between Dubai and destinations including Jeddah, Riyadh and Doha. Traffic to and from Asia also grew by 10%.

 

 

INDIA SOURCE OF MOST PAX

India led the leading passenger contributions, with a total of 989,680 passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia (549,091), the UK (435,251), and Pakistan (327,178). Meanwhile, the top pairing cities for passenger traffic were London (280,945), Doha (243,845) and Mumbai (214,061).

 

In absolute total passenger number terms, May 2016 welcomed a total of 6,721,995 compared to 6,267,640, while the first five months accounted for 34,648,953 passengers compared with 32,384,620 last year.

 

 

“With near record numbers expected in the coming weeks as a result of the seasonal travel peak, we are looking at solid growth for the first half of 2016,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

 

EARLY ARRIVALS ENCOURAGED

He added: “Our focus is on maintaining and enhancing service levels, despite the high volumes. As is the case every year, we are prepared with additional staff at all touch points, including our May I Help You personnel, to assist and guide passengers.

 

“We have also launched the Hangout@DXB campaign to inform, entertain and surprise passengers.

 

“The idea is to encourage passengers flying out on holidays to arrive early to the airport to ensure a smooth start to their journey, while making the most of the wide array of dining, shopping and relaxation options we have on offer at DXB.”