(Bloomberg) -- Dubai International Airport raised its forecast for passenger numbers this year, surpassing its busiest inflow in 2018, after the emirate attracted a record number of visitors in the first half.
Passenger numbers will rise to 91.8 million in 2024, slightly higher than the 91 million it predicted in May, the airport operator said in a statement on Wednesday. Dubai International said it saw a record 44.9 million guests passing thorough its terminals during the first six months of this year, 8% higher than the same period in 2023.
India remained the top destination, followed by Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Pakistan. Traffic from China grew 80% compared with the same period last year, representing a 90% recovery from 2019 levels before the pandemic grounded global travel.
“We’re pretty optimistic that actually this is going to be a record year and hopefully leading toward our goal of topping the 100 million passenger mark within the next three or four years,” Dubai Airports Chief Executive Officer Paul Griffiths said in a Bloomberg TV interview.
In order to accommodate its growth plans, Dubai’s government is proceeding with a $35 billion expansion of its second hub, Al Maktoum International Airport, in anticipation of a spike in visitors. The airfield already exists, with a 32.5 million passenger capacity, but caters mainly to cargo and some low-cost services for the time being.
That new terminal at Al Maktoum will not be operational until mid 2030s. If DXB reaches maximum capacity before then, the company will activate a migration plan for some of the short to medium-haul flights to operate out of the emirate’s second airport, Griffiths said.
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