Dubai airport expects nearly 2m passengers over two weekends

Dubai International airport has cautioned travellers to reach the airport early as it expects nearly two million passengers over the two weekends of June 30 and July 7.

With schools across the United Arab Emirates closing for the summer break, over 900,000 passengers are anticipated to pass through the airport from June 30 to July 3.

A similar volume of travellers is forecast on the following weekend from July 7-10 around the festival of Eid Al Fitr.

To ensure that passenger movement remains smooth, operator Dubai Airports is launching its ‘Hangout@DXB’ campaign.

Introduced last year, the campaign offers prizes and promotions, sports screenings and other incentives to encourage passengers to get to the airport early.

“Nearly a quarter of a million passengers will be passing through our facility every day during the two weekends,” said senior vice president of Communications at Dubai Airports Anita Mehra.

“While we are very happy with the ongoing growth in traffic, we want to make sure that our customers can make the most of the wide range of food, spa and relaxation, shopping choices available at DXB.”

Dubai Airports has also launched a public awareness campaign and will deploy additional resources across the airport to ease passenger flow through the facility, it said.

Dubai International airport currently ranks as the busiest in the world for international passenger traffic and number three globally in terms of total passenger traffic.

The airport also reported a 7.2 per cent increase in passenger numbers in April to 6.98 million people.

Travel Tips

1. Be sure to check which airport and terminal you are departing from/arriving into beforehand.

2. Arrive early at the airport. It is best to leave a minimum of three hours for check-in and passport control.

3. Leave extra time for your journey to the airport as the roads will be very busy.

4. Check with the airline in advance for information on your baggage allowance. Irrespective of the allowance, a single unit of baggage weighing more than 32kgs will not be accepted at check-in.

5. It is always simpler to pack liquids, aerosols and gels in your check-in baggage. However, make sure they are in a clear re-sealable plastic bag. Each item should not be more than 100ml and the total content of all items should not be more than one litre.

6. Check-in online or use the self-service check-in kiosks in the departures hall. Customers with baggage can make use of the quick-baggage drop counters, while those carrying only hand luggage can proceed directly to immigration.

7. Remember to put anything metal – watch, jewellery, mobile phone, coins, belt – into your hand luggage well before you arrive at the X-ray machine. This will save time at security screening.

8. Using the UAE e-Gate card helps avoid queuing at passport control, both while arriving and on departure. You can register for an eGate card from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs for a fee.