Dubai airport back at ‘100% operating capacity’

Dubai International (DXB) airport is back at “100 per cent operating capacity” having opened the final phase of Concourse A at Terminal 3, operator Dubai Airports announced on Monday.

All terminals, concourses, lounges, restaurants and retail outlets are now open.

Visitors to Dubai exceeded one million during the month of October and DXB saw one million passengers per week in November, with origin-destination passengers reaching 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile Terminal 3 is expected to serve more than 1.6 million passengers in the second half of December during the month’s peak seasonal travel period, the statement added.

“Reaching the point where 100 per cent of our facilities are now open and serving customers, plus the huge resurgence in passengers arriving into Dubai marks an important milestone for the aviation sector as well as for the city of Dubai and its economic growth,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

Following its complete closure in March 2020, DXB reopened Terminals 2 and 3 and Concourses B and C for normal inbound passenger operations from June 22, 2020, following the easing of international travel regulations for residents by UAE authorities.

Outbound travel for UAE citizens and residents was opened on June 23 while Dubai reopened to international tourists from July 7, 2020.

Dubai Airports reopened Terminal 1 and Concourse D, which serves 60 international airlines, on June 24, 2021.

Over past 18 months, there has been a steady increase in passenger traffic which has intensified in recent months, the statement said.

Traffic reached 10.6 million passengers in the first half of 2021, followed by a surge in October 2021 which took the year-to-date passenger numbers to 20.7 million.

With the year-end holiday season “showing further growth”, passenger numbers are expected to reach 28.9 million by the end of 2021, 2.1 million more than the September 2021 forecast.

“The rate of recovery of DXB has exceeded most other airports of comparable size and highlights the positive international reputation that Dubai has as an attractive city that has taken decisive steps to protect its visitors and residents,” said Griffiths.

“The number of visitors to Dubai is likely to exceed pre-pandemic levels during the final few weeks of the year which is an excellent milestone on our journey towards full recovery.”