(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Dubai International is set to cross another historic benchmark of 57 million passengers by the end of 2012 as it continues to host nearly five million passengers a month.
Monthly passenger data, issued by its operator Dubai Airports, shows that the world's fourth-busiest international aviation hub is witnessing, on average, 4.8 million passengers every month, meaning that the Dubai airport can easily surpass the 57 million passengers mark in December this year.
The latest data issued by the airport operator on Wednesday revealed that Dubai International registered its second busiest month on record with 4.92 million passengers in October with a year-on-year increase of 14.3 per cent.
In July this year, the airport surpassed the five million passenger mark for the first time in its history. Year-to-date traffic has climbed 13.5 per cent to 47.49 million compared to 41.85 million witnessed during the corresponding period last year.
"While 2011 was a record-breaking year for handling over 50 million passengers, 2012 and subsequent years will also be record-breakers - and with good reason," Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research, told Khaleej Times.
The impressive monthly performance flies in the face of economic angst seen in markets like the US and Europe, but continued growth from Emirates airline and flydubai underscores the passenger appeal of flying to and through Dubai, according to Ahmad.
Dubai Airports chief executive officer Paul Griffiths said: "Growth continues at an impressive clip with almost five million passengers monthly fast becoming the norm. At this rate we expect to exceed our initial forecast of 56.5 million passengers and should end the year at or around 57 million passengers."
AGCC recorded the largest increase in total passenger numbers in October, followed by Western Europe, the Sub-continent and Asia. Contraction in traffic on Middle Eastern routes continued in October as a result of unrest in certain parts of the region.
Dubai International handled 202,619 tonnes of cargo in October, an increase of 2.4 per cent over the 197,841 tonnes recorded during the same period in 2011.
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