The CEO of Dubai Airport is confident about the future, predicting that passenger traffic will hit a record high this year and exceed 100 million passengers by 2027.
Paul Griffiths said the airport operator had seen a very strong recovery after the pandemic, adding that the city had “never been in a stronger position”.
Dubai Airports is the owner and manager of Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
Griffiths added that a shortage of aircraft capacity, coupled with efforts to promote Dubai as a safe haven for tourists and the “hangover” demand caused by the epidemic, could lead to a surge in passenger numbers.
“These are three reasons why we’re going to have a record year — 91 million people expected to end 2024,” he told CNBC’s “Capital Connection” on Tuesday.
“We expect passenger throughput to exceed the 100 million mark by 2027. So the future prospects are very positive.”
The company said Dubai International Airport had its busiest quarter in history this year, handling more than 23 million passengers, an increase of 8.4% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. in a statement.
It added that this was partly due to increased destination offers from flagship airline Emirates and its sister low-cost carrier flydubai.
The total passenger volume in the first quarter reached 23,052,060, a record high of 7.9 million passengers in January.
The strong growth further strengthens the airport’s role as a key driver of Dubai’s economy and the aviation industry in the Middle East.
In April this year, the Dubai government approved a 128 billion dirham (approximately US$35 billion) plan to build a new passenger terminal at the emirate’s Al Maktoum International Airport. This will make it five times larger than Dubai’s main international airport, making it the world’s largest airport when completed.
Griffiths said the airport operator would continue to invest in the latest technology to increase “the flow of traffic through the airport facilities” and give passengers a faster and more convenient experience.
“Secondly, it does allow us to significantly increase capacity from existing infrastructure without having to build a lot of additional capacity,” he said.
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