More than a million passengers are expected to arrive at Dubai International (DXB) over the next 11 days in what could be the aviation hub’s busiest weekends so far this year, Dubai Airports said.
DXB has been ranked as the busiest airport in the world, but traffic plummeted at the start of the pandemic last year, when airlines were forced to ground their flights. With the reopening of borders around the world, traffic has started to pick up.
Between August 12 and 22, average daily travelers passing through the DXB gates will peak to around 100,000.
“The surge is the outcome of a coinciding of the seasonal peak at the end of the summer holidays when families travel back to the UAE with recent changes in travel regulations for the UAE affecting several countries,” Dubai Airports said in a statement.
The UAE recently loosened travel restrictions on inbound and transit travelers from several Asian and African countries including India. Among the few changes, the United Kingdom upgraded the UAE to its “amber” list of countries, easing the quarantine rules for arriving travelers from the UAE.
With the expected surge in arrivals and departures at DXB, authorities have assured they are “doing everything” they can to ensure safe and smooth operations.
“We are prepared, and we are doing everything we can to make sure that passengers have a safe and smooth experience at DXB,” said Essa Al Shamsi, vice president of Terminal and Operations at Dubai Airports.
“But given the recent changes in travel requirements, which can often differ depending on the starting point and the destination of a journey, passengers can make a big difference to their airport experience by following a few simple rules and tips.”
DXB ceased its operations from March 25 last year on government orders as part of the COVID-19 precautionary measures. During the first quarter of the year, passenger traffic at DXB plunged 67.8 percent to 5.75 million.
