Direct flights accounted for 55% of total passenger traffic through Dubai International Airport during the winter travel season, amid the expansion of the flight network and increased operating capacity at Dubai International and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum airports to keep pace with rising seasonal demand.
The season saw new airlines join Dubai International's network, with FlyArystan starting 2 weekly flights from Aktau in Kazakhstan from November 29, while Austrian Airlines resumed its flights from Vienna on December 2 with 5 weekly flights.
In the same context, European airlines boosted their capacity during the winter season, with Virgin Atlantic deploying an A350-1000 on the Dubai route, increasing the number of seats by 52%, while British Airways brought A380 aircraft back on its flights from London Heathrow, an indication of strong demand from European markets as the holiday season approaches.
Seasonal demand from South Asia and the wider Middle East also helped deepen air connectivity through Dubai International, with Varesh Airlines launching 2 weekly flights from Sari in Iran from October 30, and Fly Jinnah adding 2 weekly flights from Lahore starting November 2.
Saudi Arabia recorded one of the strongest growth rates during the winter travel season as Dubai International's second-largest market, accounting for 7.8% of total passenger traffic through October this year. Total travel between Saudi Arabia and both Dubai International and Al Maktoum International reached about 6.3 million passengers, an annual increase of 1.3%.
Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International stood out with exceptional passenger growth of 459%, reaching 173,000 passengers, as airlines increasingly take advantage of its available capacity and use it to complement operations at Dubai International.
In the first 10 months of the year, Dubai World Central welcomed 1.1 million passengers, an increase of 36.6%, driven by demand from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Western Europe, along with continued growth in air cargo and aircraft movement indicators.
Eurowings contributed to this growth by launching a new daily service from Stuttgart to Dubai International and operating 3 weekly flights from Dusseldorf to Dubai World Central, in addition to increasing the number of flights to Berlin, Cologne and Hanover, with a Premium BIZclass cabin offered on the Berlin route.
For his part, Robert Whitehouse, Vice President of Research Development at Dubai Airports, explained that the winter travel season is a pivotal milestone for Dubai's aviation sector, and that the breadth of the operating network this season reflects the continued evolution in demand levels. He stressed that the growth of direct traffic reflects a balance between incoming visitors and travel by residents and people who have chosen Dubai as their home.
He added that the improvements in the winter season schedules reflect airlines' confidence in the strength and diversity of demand for travel to Dubai, and reinforce the emirate's position as one of the most dynamic aviation markets in the world.
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