According to Airport’s Council International (ACI), Dubai International Airport (DXB) has maintained its position as the busiest airport in the world for international travellers for the ninth year running. On the strength of a robust recovery in international travel, passenger traffic more than doubled to over 66 million in 2022. Since then, DXB has increased its 2023 passenger prediction to 78 million.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) Tops The List For International Passengers
The number of passengers handled by DXB during the latter three months of 2022 reached pre-pandemic levels.
Retaining the title of the busiest airport “comes as no surprise considering Dubai International’s exceptional performance throughout 2022 and the spike in traffic in the last quarter,” according to Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.
“The increase in demand for air travel was universal in 2022, but what set DXB apart was the dedication of our people and the meticulous planning and preparation by every service partner that makes up Dubai’s amazing airport community.”
Griffiths added that DXB’s readiness allowed the airport to handle the sharp rise in demand and provide real improvements to the entire airport experience for the 66 million visitors that came through in 2022.
The list of the busiest airports in the world for 2022 was released on Wednesday by ACI World, and preliminary data indicate that passenger volume was close to 7 billion, up 53.5% from 2021 and 73.8% from 2019.
10% Of Traffic Goes Through The Top 10 Airports
The top ten airports for total passenger traffic, which account for 10% of all traffic worldwide, saw an increase of 51.7% from 2021, which is equivalent to an 85.9% improvement over their 2019 performance. The top three airports in the rankings are still Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Denver Airport, and Chicago O’Hare Airport.
With considerable domestic passenger shares, five of the top ten airports are located in the US. Dubai Airport, Istanbul Airport, London Heathrow, Delhi Airport, and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport are among the top 10 international airports on the list.
After reopening its borders in March 2022, London Heathrow saw a huge rise in its ranking, climbing from 54th to ninth. The rankings, according to ACI Global Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira, demonstrate the aviation and airport sectors’ tenacity as well as travellers’ desire to travel, and they represent a significant step towards returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Felipe said the re-opening of China, the second largest aviation market after the US, is now expected to bring an overall gain, both domestically and for international travel.
Filipe added further “While we continue to march forward cautiously amidst multiple headwinds that could impact the speed and magnitude of global air traffic recovery, the latest rankings represent an important milestone in reaching pre-pandemic levels.”
Have you travelled through Dubai International Airport recently? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.
