DUBAI – Passenger throughput at Dubai International Airport crossed the 2.5 million mark last month (July 2006), bringing the total number of passengers handled at the airport to over 16.28 million in seven months this year.

 The figure of 2,528,060 for July 2006 translates into an increase of 13.89 per cent over July 2005 when the DIA had 2,219,697 passengers. At 19,468, aircraft movement also increased significantly last month registering a 7.99 per cent growth over the corresponding period in 2005. The total aircraft movement for January to July this year now stands at 136,011.

 The total tonnage of cargo handled in the seven months this year reached 803,613 tonnes as against 743,408 tonnes from January to July 2005, a substantial increase of 8 per cent. There was however a marginal drop of almost 2.5 per cent in cargo, down from 115,704 tonnes in July 2005 to 112,838 last month (July 2006).

 DIA saw a considerable increase in passengers in the first half this year, with passenger movement going up by 16.24 per cent over the first half of 2005. The airport handled a total of 13,759,320 passengers in the first half of 2006 as against 11,837,271 during the same period last year. January and April witnessed the highest passenger movement this year with a comparative growth of 17.12 per cent and 21.48 per cent respectively over the corresponding period in 2005.

 Cargo movement also went up, registering a healthy 10 per cent increase during the period. During the period under review, Dubai Cargo Village handled a total of 690,775 tonnes of cargo as compared to 627,704 tonnes in the first half of 2005, an increase of 10 per cent.

 Commenting on the DIA’s growth, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group, said that the statistics speak for themselves. He noted that after a satisfactory first half, the DIA is looking forward to a very optimistic second. “The statistics indicate the shape of things to come, and the level of growth envisioned for the future,” he said.