Dubai International Airport sees 41.6m passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, announced Tuesday it served 41.6m passengers in the first half of this year — exceeding figures for the same period in 2019 as travelers return to the air after the lockdowns of the coronavirus pandemic. The airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates in skyscraper-studded Dubai, long has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide. The new figures at the airport known as DXB reflect figures offered by the IATA that traffic worldwide is at 94% of pre-COVID levels. “As we recover with our (half-year) traffic surpassing pre-pandemic levels, we continue to remain committed to ensuring every guest who travels through our airport leaves with a smile,” Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said in a statement announcing the figures. The 41.6m passengers is up some 50% from the 27.9m recorded the same time last year, as airlines now have more planes and routes running again.<br/>