Passenger Traffic from Russia Surges 47 per cent in Q1

Dubai, UAE – April 25, 2012 – Dubai International continues to be a vital transit hub and popular tourist and business destination for many Russians, with the number of passengers travelling between Russia and Dubai surging almost 47 per cent in the first three months of this year.

Passenger traffic between Dubai and Russia in the first quarter of the year climbed 46.53 per cent to 359,066, compared to 245,050 at the same time in 2011. This growth is being boosted by new destinations being served by a growing number of airlines. In all Dubai is linked to 10 Russian cities, served by 52 flights a week by eight airlines.

The expansion of Dubai low-cost carrier flydubai’s network to several cities in Russia and the CIS region was one of the main drivers of the region’s overall growth, with passenger traffic reaching 576,989 in the first quarter of the year. flydubai currently flies twice weekly to the Russian cities of Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Ufa and Samara.

The launch of Emirates’ daily flight to Saint Petersburg in November last year and strong performances by Russian airlines Transaero and Ural Airlines also boosted traffic between Dubai and Russia. The city emerged as one of the top 20 fastest growing markets for Dubai International in the first quarter of the year.

Moscow, the Russian capital, remains one of Dubai International’s most important markets, ranking among the airport’s biggest 20 markets in the first three months of the year.

“Not only is Dubai International seen as a vital hub which connects passengers from Russia to virtually anywhere in the world, it is also seen as a vital business and tourism destination among a growing number of Russians,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports.

“Russians and travellers from the rest of the CIS region are increasingly realising that Dubai International offers an efficient way to connect to virtually anywhere in the world. The airport also provides a greater variety of services than many of its competitors which means the time our passengers spend in our airports is time well spent.”

Dubai Airports continue to expand its facilities to cope with its growth in passenger numbers. Early next year, Dubai International will open Concourse 3, the world’s first dedicated A380 facility, taking the airport’s total capacity to 75 million passengers a year. During 2012, Dubai International is expected to welcome 56.5 million passengers.
Passenger traffic at Dubai International, the world’s fourth busiest hub for international passengers, continued its double-digit growth for the third consecutive month in March, reaching 4,848,320, an increase of 15.4 per cent compared to 4,201,708 passengers during the corresponding month in 2011.

Dubai Airports, in its latest passenger traffic report including all destinations, announced that March was the third consecutive month that Dubai International recorded passenger numbers exceeding the 4.5 million mark, propelling traffic in the first quarter to 14,261,606, a surge of 16.1 per cent over the same period last year.