The Dubai International Airport (DXB) has been named the busiest airport in the World for international passenger traffic by the Airport Council International (ACI) for the 9th consecutive year. The passenger traffic surpassed 66 million in 2022, more than double the previous year, due to the resurgence of the international travel industry post-pandemic. As a result, DXB has raised its passenger forecast for 2023 to 78 million.

DXB retains Busiest Airport Title

DXB saw passenger numbers reaching pre-pandemic levels during the last three months of 2022. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, expressed that retaining the title of the world's busiest airport "comes as no surprise given Dubai International's stellar performance throughout 2022 and the upsurge in traffic in the final quarter."

He added that the airport's ability to accommodate the rapid increase in demand was due to meticulous planning and preparation by every service partner that makes up Dubai's airport community. According to Griffiths, DXB's preparedness allowed the airport to deliver tangible enhancements in the overall airport experience for the 66 million passengers that passed through during 2022. Griffiths made these comments to Gulf News.

ACI has recently published data indicating the top 10 airports for international passenger traffic in 2022, with Dubai International Airport maintaining its top position for the ninth consecutive year. 

Some other airports that made it to the top 10 include London's Heathrow (58.243 million passengers), Amsterdam (52.46 million), Paris (51.76 million), Istanbul (48.5 million), Frankfurt (44.77 million), Madrid (36.23 million), Doha (35.7 million), Singapore (31.9 million) and London's Gatwick Airport (30.14 million).

The Dubai Media Office shared the feat on its Twitter handle and wrote, "DXB ranks first globally for the 9th consecutive year as the world's busiest airport by international traffic in 2022, based on the annual report by ACIWorld.

.@DXB ranks first globally for the 9th consecutive year as the world's busiest airport by international traffic in 2022, based on the annual report by @ACIWorld pic.twitter.com/wMy34nErGX

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) April 5, 2023

Director Comments
 

The Director General of ACI World, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, last year said that the passenger traffic rankings demonstrate a positive trend of recovery, with many of the busiest airports from pre-pandemic times returning to the top. While there is a possibility of challenges to recovery, the reopening plans of many countries could result in increased travel in the latter half of 2022.

ACI World is therefore advocating for governments to ease travel restrictions based on data and safely restore the movement of people, goods, and services. This will lead to increased travel options for passengers and boost trade, tourism, investment, and job creation through the unique role of aviation.