Growth continues to surprise at Dubai airports
Posted on 27 July 2010 with no comments from readers
First half figures show Dubai airports handled 16.3 per cent more passengers than in the same period of last year, a total of 22.5 million people, and 26 per cent more cargo at 1.1 million tonnes.
These figures confirm the resurgence in air travel that has led the economic recovery in Dubai with tourism rather than business the biggest source of additional passengers.
New flights
More than 145 new flights were added from Dubai in the first half, with flydubai leading with 48 new weekly flights and Emirates adding 36, including Tokyo and Jakarta.
The second Al Maktoum International Airport only opened on June 27th and so contributed a nominal amount and is cargo-only until next March. However, this rapid recovery from the depths of the 2009 recession tends to suggest investment in this second yellow-field site will pay handsome dividends in the future.
Dubai is launching dozens of new hotels over the next 12 months so news of the upsurge in passenger flow will be welcome among hoteliers who have heavily discounted their rates this year to fill up rooms.
Transit hub
But it is as a transit airport that Dubai is enjoying most of its success. Emirates Airline’s hub-and-spoke model now spans the globe from North and South America to Europe, Africa and the most distant parts of Asia and New Zealand.
The delivery of new A380 super jumbos is also increasing capacity on existing routes. Emirates has 10 in service and another 80 A380s on order. There has been no problem in financing these plane purchases that are generally underwritten by government credit agencies.
Dubai’s airport investments therefore look a highly successful investment thus far and plans for the future are thus justifiably ambitious.
