Dubai: Passenger numbers at Al Maktoum International (DWC), Dubai’s second airport, grew by more than 35 per cent in the first half of the year, according to the traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports on Monday.
In the first half of 2017, DWC saw 554,993 passengers, compared to 410,278 passengers during the first six months of last year, a growth of 35.3 per cent.
According to a statement from Dubai Airports, the first half numbers were boosted by consistent growth in the second quarter during which passenger traffic totalled 221,213, up 45.1 per cent compared to 152,465 during the same period in 2016. The top regions for DWC in terms of passenger volumes during the first half were Eastern Europe (207,798 passengers) and the GCC (170,424).
Flight movements were down by 11.1 per cent during the first half. Totalling 18,371, a decline on the 20,656 flight movements recorded during the corresponding period in 2016.
The average passenger per flight movement, however, during the first half was 121, up 34.4 per cent compared to 90 during the first six months of 2016.
Freight volumes at DWC totalled 443,835 tonnes during the first half compared to 430,132 tonnes recorded in the first six months of 2016, an increase of 3.2 per cent.
“Overall DWC performed well in the first half of the year with both scheduled and chartered carriers contributing to traffic volumes at the airport. DWC’s continuing growth as an important travel and logistics hub is driven by advantages the facility offers to both airlines and passengers,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.
