Following on the heels of a good first quarter, Dubai International, the world's sixth busiest airport for international passengers, has announced a growth of 6.5% in passenger traffic in April. The airport recorded a throughput of 3,271,435 in April 2009 compared to 3,073,479 in the same period last year.
In March, Dubai International was ranked fourth worldwide in terms of passenger traffic. According to Airports Council International's (ACI) figures, Dubai International was the only airport among the top ten airports in terms of international passengers to register positive growth for the last two consecutive quarters. The airport recorded a growth of 7.1% in the last quarter of 2008, and just over 2% in the first quarter this year.
Commenting on Dubai International's continuing growth, Dubai Airport CEO, Paul Griffiths said he was pleased that the airport has begun the second quarter on a positive note.
He said: "The results for April are ahead of our expectations and this bodes well for the rest of the year. The latest figures are very encouraging, and considering that the travel season is yet to peak, we are very positive that the second quarter will show better results." Griffiths added that as many as five new international carriers have been added to Dubai International's ever-expanding list of airlines in the first five months this year.
"There are indications that we will continue to welcome new airlines at more or less the same rate over the coming months, and this will add to our current growth, much of which is a direct result of the rebound in traffic from Western Europe, the US and Russia," he said.
He added that the launch of Dubai's own budget airline flydubai from Terminal 2 in June will also play an important role in pushing Dubai International's growth.
Dubai International currently caters to over 125 airlines flying to over 210 destinations. The story of Dubai International's growth in 2009 amidst the global economic situation and its impact on tourism and travel industry worldwide continues from 2008, a year in which the airport handled 37.44 million passengers, registering a growth of 9% over 2007. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
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