Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest hub for long-haul flights and home of Gulf giant Emirates, reported a 2.4 per cent decline in third quarter passenger traffic.
The airport handled 23.2 million passengers during the three months ending September 30, down from 22.6m in the prior-year period, operator Dubai Airports said. In the first nine months of the year, Dubai's main hub said it handled 64.5m travellers, also down 4.5 per cent year-on-year, blaming a 45-day runway closure and the ongoing grounding of Boeing's embattled 737 Max narrowbody jet.
"The slight contraction in year-to-date numbers is mainly the result of the closure of one of DXB’s two runways for 45 days for a runway rehabilitation project during May-April, as well as the impact of the worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 Max aircraft since March this year," Dubai Airports said.
Dubai is the hub for Emirates, which has used its position at a crossroads between Europe and Asia to develop an unparalleled network of intercontinental connections. On Thursday, Emirates' chairman said the airline "worked hard" to minimise the impact of the planned runway renovations at the airport on its business and its customers. Separately, the ban on Boeing's 737 Max following two crashes that killed 346 people has disrupted global airlines' operations, with Flydubai warning of pressure on its performance from the continued grounding.
Emirates, the biggest customer at the airport, said it carried fewer passengers in the six months to September 30.
The airline ferried 29.6 million passengers during the first half of its fiscal year, down two per cent, as the number of available seats reduced by five per cent during the runway closure earlier this year, it said on Thursday.
Cargo volumes at Dubai International Airport fell 5.9 per cent to 636,575 tonnes in the third quarter. In the nine months of this year, freight volumes also declined 4.1 per cent to 1.9m tonnes.
"A bulk of the cargo traffic at DXB is belly-hold which was impacted by reduction in capacity during the runway rehabilitation project," it said.
India remained DXB's top destination country by passenger numbers, with traffic for the first nine months reaching 8.8 million customers, followed by Saudi Arabia with 4.8 million customers, and the United Kingdom with 4.6 million customers.
The top three cities were London, Mumbai and Riyadh.
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The Airbus A380 through the years
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Airbus will stop production of its A380 superjet by 2021 Reuters -
People look at a Emirates A380 airbus landing in Nice, south of France. AFP -
Sheikh Mohammed takes a tour of an Emirates A380 during the opening ceremony of the Dubai Airshow in 2013. AFP -
A visitor poses for a photo in front of an Emirates A380 Airbus passenger aircraft decorated with a giant portrait of UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan. AFP -
Airbus and Emirates celebrate the 100th A380 in 2018. Courtesy Emirates -
The A380 is the World biggest passenger jet . AP -
Emirates will receive 14 more A380s from Airbus before the plane maker ends production. Courtesy Emirates -
Airbus said Thursday it will stop making A380 superjumbo jets in 2021 after struggling to win clients. AP Photo -
Interior of Business Class on an Emirates A380. Courtesy: Emirates -
Interior of Business Class on Emirates A380. Courtsey: Emirates -
An air stewardess arranges bedsheets of a double bed in a suite of Singapore Airlines' new Airbus A380 during a tour of the plane at Changi Airport in Singapore. AFP -
An Airbus A380, the largest passenger jet in the world, in Dubai. The airline topped a list of attractive employers in a recent survey of Gen Y and Gen Z. EPA -
The special Emirates A380 will be in service with the Real Madrid decal for six months. Courtesy Emirates -
United for Wildlife Emirates A380 before its first flight to London. Courtesy Emirates Airline -
An Etihad Airways A380 at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Christopher Pike / The National -
A Singapore Airlines Airbus in the snow at JFK, 2018. Reuters -
Etihad Airways economy on an A380. Courtesy Etihad -
The Lobby of an Etihad Airways A380. AFP -
Aermacchi MB-339 jets from UAE's Al-Fursan display team perform with an Airbus A380 from Etihad Airways before the start of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit. AFP -
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo -
An Emirates Airline A-380 leads UAE's "Al Fursan" aerobatic display team, during the opening day of the Dubai Air Show. AP Photo -
The tail of the Airbus A-380 at the 46th Paris Air Show. Getty Images -
An Emirates Airbus A380 plane is seen at Nice International airport in Nice, France. REUTERS -
An Airbus SAS A380 super jumbo performs a flying display on day two of the 51st International Paris Air Show in Paris, France. Bloomberg -
Line Emirates is one of the airlines included in the TSA's emergency order. Courtesy Emirates -
Tthe A380 has been Airbus’s flagship project for the past two decades. Bloomberg -
A British Airways A380. Courtesy British Airways -
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 at Beijing airport. AFP -
New wheels on the Emirates A380. Courtesy Emirates -
At Dubai's Miracle Garden, more than five million flowers were grown to produce a full-size Emirates Airbus A380. Courtesy Guinness World Records
