A record 88 million passengers are expected to pass through Dubai International Airport (DXB) next year, surpassing the pre-pandemic level of 86.4 million international passengers the airport received in 2019.

The forecast for 2024 was made by Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Airports, operator of DXB, in an interview with a UAE-based Arabic daily on Tuesday (August 29), a report in Khaleej Times said. 

Last week, DXB – dubbed as the world’s busiest international hub – readjusted its passenger forecast for 2023 from 83.6 million guests to 85 million – just 1.6 per cent short of DXB’s total annual traffic in 2019.

The revision came after DXB reported welcoming 41.6 million passengers in the first six months of 2023, exceeding the 2019 H1 (first half) figures and up by 49.1 per cent when compared to first-half 2022 figures of 27.9 million.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, earlier said: “It’s been a rewarding first half for DXB, and amidst increasing guest numbers, we take great pride in knowing we are continuously delivering with operational excellence and providing an exemplary guest experience…As we recover with our H1 traffic surpassing pre-pandemic levels, we continue to remain committed to ensuring every guest who travels through our airport leaves with a smile.”

March was busiest month so far this year, with 7.3 million passengers, followed by May with 6.9m guests.

Griffiths noted: “We started the second half with strong demand in July, and with the ongoing seasonal peak coinciding with the reopening of schools in August, we’re preparing for an exceptionally busy rest of the year. We’ve readjusted our forecast for the year from 83.6m guests to 85m, just 1.6 per cent shy of DXB’s annual traffic in 2019.”

Meanwhile, Al Joker noted the current capacity of DXB can reach up to 100 million passengers, and, with ongoing improvement work since 2016, the airport’s capacity can reach up to around 120 million passengers. He added DXB is making optimal use of AI (artificial intelligence) technologies to serve passengers.

DXB is connected to 257 destinations across 104 countries, through more than 91 international airlines. - TradeArabia News Service