Dubai airport registers growth in passenger traffic

Dubai, July 26 (IANS/WAM) Dubai International Airport, ranked fourth worldwide in terms of passenger traffic, has posted a 6.5-percent growth in passenger traffic in April, an official said Monday.

According to Airports Council International’s (ACI) figures, the Dubai International Airport was among the top 10 airports to register positive growth in terms of international passengers for two consecutive quarters.

The airport recorded a growth of 7.1 percent in the last quarter of 2008, and just over two percent in the first quarter this year.

Commenting on the airport’s continuing growth, Dubai Airport CEO Paul Griffiths said: “The results for April are ahead of our expectations and this bodes well for the rest of the year. The latest figures are very encouraging, and considering that the travel season is yet to peak, we are very positive that the second quarter will show better results.”

Griffiths added that as many as five new international carriers have been added to Dubai International’s ever-expanding list of airlines in the first five months this year.

“There are indications that we will continue to welcome new airlines at more or less the same rate over the coming months, and this will add to our current growth, much of which is a direct result of the rebound in traffic from Western Europe, the US and Russia,” he said.

–IANS/WAM