UAE airports passenger traffic jumps by 56.3% in Q1 2023

UAE airports registered a 56.3 per cent increase in passenger traffic during the first three months of the year to 31.8 million, according to the General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The GCAA said the number of people travelling through the UAE’s airports reached approximately 31.8 million, an increase of more than 11.5 million compared to the same period in 2022 – where about 20.4 million passengers were recorded.

The authority said the increase in passenger traffic indicates the aviation sector’s success in restoring pre-COVID-19 passenger traffic levels.

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director-general of the GCAA said the UAE civil aviation sector has managed to restore passenger traffic to pre-pandemic levels.

Al Suwaidi highlighted that the numbers recorded in the first quarter of the year confirm global confidence in the UAE’s civil aviation sector and its ability to recover and achieve growth.

#UAE airports experience 56.3% growth in Q1 with 31.8 million passengers: GCAA #WamNews https://t.co/6Dw5LtIOwu pic.twitter.com/3ApdTCaGV9

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) May 2, 2023

The GCAA expects traffic at the UAE’s airports to remain on the growth trajectory in 2023. Al Suwaidi said the number of national airlines’ destinations reached approximately 536 in Q1 2023, including joint destinations.

The UAE’s aviation sector contributes around 14 per cent to the gross domestic product and the investment in the sector is projected to be above Dhs1tn while the size of investments in the development and expansion of airports has reached Dhs85bn to accommodate over 300 million passengers annually.

UAE airports’record footfall

Meanwhile, Sharjah Airport’s first-quarter passenger traffic grew by 28.01 per cent to more than 3.8 million compared to the same period in 2022. The airport expects to achieve even higher growth rates by the year’s end.

Read: Sharjah Airport records footfall of over 3.8 million passengers in Q1 2023

The aircraft movement for the same term surged by 9.02 per cent, with 23,261 flights by the end of March, compared to 21,336 flights during the same period last year.

“The upsurge in passenger numbers is a true reflection of our strategic efforts to promote the travel and tourism sectors, and further solidify Sharjah’s position as a global destination,” Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority said adding that the increase is a step closer to realising the city’s efforts to lift the airport to be among the top five airports in the region.

Similarly, Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained its position as the world’s busiest international hub for passengers in 2022 for the ninth year in a row, as air travel demand has surged to pre-pandemic levels.

The latest data from the Airports Council International (ACI) shows that DXB, which does not have a domestic market, more than doubled passenger traffic last year to 66.1 million.

Dubai Airports expects the number of passengers that will pass through DXB to reach 78 million by the end of the year, as the UAE prepares to host major international events including the Dubai Airshow and the COP28 climate summit.

Read: Dubai welcomes 4.67 million tourists in Q1 2023