Dubai International Airport tops pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels in 2023

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest international hub, reported a remarkable 31.7% increase in passenger traffic in 2023, with a total of 86.9 million passengers passing through the airport, operator Dubai Airports said on Monday.

This surpassed pre-pandemic levels and is a great sign of recovery for the aviation industry as passenger traffic had declined severely during COVID-19.

Before COVID-19, the airport had recorded 86.4 million passengers in 2019.

According to Reuters, Dubai, the biggest tourism and trade hub in the Middle East, was quick to reopen after the pandemic.

Relaxed social and visa rules and an influx of Russians and business professionals have helped fuel the city's economic recovery which has also seen property prices and rents balloon up. 

Out of DXB's top destination countries in terms of traffic, India ranked first with 11.9 million passengers last year, followed by Saudi Arabia with 6.7 million, Britain with 5.9 million and Pakistan with 4.2 million.

Dubai Airports said it forecast DXB would receive 88.8 million passengers in 2024, putting the hub within proximity to its record high of 89.1 million set in 2018.

DXB is connected to 262 destinations across 104 countries through 102 international carriers, the statement said.