Dubai nudging Heathrow as busiest international airport
Dubai International Airport will soon become the world’s second busiest international airport, new analysis has shown.
The airport is currently the world’s fourth busiest, but the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has predicted that it will be second only to London Heathrow in terms of passenger traffic by November 2011.
It will then overhaul Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Paris Charles de Gaulle, CAPA said.
Dubai is currently building what’s expected to be the world’s largest airport – due for completion in 2017 – and is also upgrading its current terminals.
Dubai International, boosted by new aircraft being introduced by Emirates airline, is edging closer to Heathrow, offering 1.3 million international seats in throughput in November 2011, compared to around 1.5 million for London Heathrow.
CAPA said that an upswing in seasonal flights from Gulf carriers, and the increasing numbers of passengers choosing to connect between Europe and Asia via Dubai, was responsible for the jump.
The size of an airport is normally judged using benchmarks such as aircraft movements, total number of passengers (domestic and international) or the number of seats on board aircraft heading to and from that destination.
Last year, aviation analyst OAG said that Beijing Airport had overtaken Heathrow as the world’s second busiest in terms of total seat capacity, although both were still behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, the world’s biggest by domestic and international seats.
Source: The Independent.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments