Dubai International (DXB) ended 2023 with 87 million annual guests, exceeding both pre-pandemic and Dubai Airports’ yearly projections. This is after a year of extraordinary success and remarkable expansion. With this exceptional performance, DXB’s recovery journey was successfully finished ahead of schedule, solidifying its position as the busiest airport in the world for international travel.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, said, “DXB’s spectacular performance in 2023 is a resounding testament to the visionary leadership and determination of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve growth and excellence across sectors, surmounting all challenges along the way.
This incredible performance demonstrates how Dubai has grown to be the world’s most popular travel destination and the significant role it plays in global trade and commerce. The unmatched connectivity, aviation capability, and logistics infrastructure that His Highness has progressively built over the years have made these advancements possible.
“Dubai is setting new benchmarks in passenger experience with excellence levels and innovative technologies that constantly redefine airport services. Consistent with the goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to consolidate Dubai’s status as one of the world’s top three cities for tourism and business over the next decade, the city continues to grow rapidly as a global aviation hub and the world’s preferred gateway for international travelers. As we celebrate these accomplishments, we remain committed to further enhancing Dubai’s leading position on the global stage.”
His Highness said that Dubai Airports, led by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, has implemented strategic initiatives and made critical investments in infrastructure, technology, and customer service in order to position Dubai at the forefront of the global expansion of aviation.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “I am incredibly proud of everyone at Dubai International, for their dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence, which has propelled us to break many of our own records. 2023 was an exceptional year and is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation, efficiency, and delivering exemplary guest experience. This translated to DXB achieving its highest internal engagement scores – a reflection of our commitment to fostering a collaborative culture, where every contribution is valued and every employee is empowered to their full potential. I want to express my gratitude to our dedicated team, the heartbeat of our organisation, and to our partners whose, collaborative work was instrumental in achieving these milestones.
“Looking ahead, we’re renewing our commitment to collectively enhance the airport experience for our all our guests by launching a significant project to expand and refurbish facilities at DXB, to fortify our infrastructure for future growth. DXB remains firmly positioned as a global leader, setting the gold standard for exceptional guest experiences and international aviation excellence.”
Traffic figures
In 2023, DXB saw an astounding 31.7% increase in visitors from the previous year, totaling 86,994,365. The second half of the year saw 45.4 million visitors to the airport, a significant growth period that helped the totals come in just under 1% higher than those of 2019 (86.4 million).
December was the busiest month of the fourth quarter with 7.8 million visitors. In Q4 of this year, 22.4 million people used the airport, a 13.8% increase over the same period last year. August had the highest traffic of any month (7.9 million guests), while Q3 continued to be the most trafficked quarter since 2019 with 23 million visitors.
The latest data for 2023 shows that 262 destinations across 104 countries are presently connected to DXB by 102 international carriers.
Operational excellence and guest experience
DXB processed an incredible 77.5 million bags in 2023—the most bags the airport had ever handled in a single year. Despite a 24.6% increase in baggage handled year over year, DXB was still able to maintain its unmatched success rate of 99.8% with only 2.4 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers.
Over 95% of guests waited less than seven minutes at departure passport control, and 97.5% of guests averaged less than four minutes at the security check.
DXB’s score of 4.5, the highest the airport has ever received, in ACI World’s globally recognized Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program demonstrates the hub’s commitment to continuously improving business performance, guest satisfaction, and airport service quality.
Top country destinations
India was the top destination country with 11.9 million visitors. With 6.7 million visitors, Saudi Arabia ranked second, and the UK ranked third with 5.9 million visitors. Germany (2.5 million), Russia (2.5 million), the US (3.6 million), and Pakistan (4.2 million) are notable examples of country markets.
Top destinations
London continued to be the most popular travel destination with 3.7 million visitors, followed by Riyadh (2.6 million) and Mumbai (2.5 million).
Cargo
In 2023, DXB processed 1,805,898 tonnes of cargo, a 4.5% decrease from the previous year. Cargo volumes reached 506,018 tonnes in the fourth quarter, up 20.4% year over year.
Flight movements
The hub’s flight movements, which reached 416,405 in 2023—the highest number of movements ever recorded at DXB and a 21.3% year-over-year increase—mirrored the double-digit growth in visitors throughout the year.
Outlook
Preliminary projections indicate that DXB will welcome 88.8 million visitors in 2024, putting the hub extremely close to its previous record of 89.1 million visitors set in 2018.
Whatsapp