Unggungli Heathrow London, Dubai Keeps Titles As The Busiest Airport For International Passengers In The World

Illustration of Dubai International Airport. (Wikimedia Commons/giggel)

JAKARTA - Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates maintained its position as the world's busiest airport for international passengers in December, ahead of major hubs such as London Heathrow, England and driven by the rise of Emirates.

The monthly increase by flight consultant OAG is calculated using the international seat capacity of airlines, as well as the frequency of international flights in December 2022, compared to the same month in 2019 before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launching The National News January 5, Dubai recorded nearly 23.7 million tourist arrivals in 2022, up 89 percent from 2021, in line with the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Of the total arrivals, 21.8 million arrived at the airport, 1.6 million coming via Hatta's Border between the UAE and Oman and 242,700 using seaports, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

The city, which is famous for its ultra-luxury hotels and dishes, was able to attract more than 107,082 passengers on New Year's Eve, data shows.

In addition, Dubai remained at the top of the busiest airport for international flights in December, with 4.6 million seats, an increase of 8 percent compared to November, and more than a million seats more than London Heathrow's next busiest airport, OAG said in a monthly report. World busiest Airport last December.

Dubai and London Heathrow also took first and second place in 2019, respectively.

Dubai International Airport handled 18.5 million passengers in the third quarter of this year, more than double the year over the year amid a larger-than-expected pandemic recovery, according to Dubai Airport operators.

This is the first time the quarterly traffic has reached pre-pandemic levels since 2020, with a figure higher than 17.8 million passengers traveling through the airport in the first quarter of 2020 before the onset of Covid-19.

Airports recorded monthly traffic averaged over six million during the third quarter.

Apart from Dubai and London, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Istanbul Airport and Changi Airport Singapore will complete the five busiest international airports in 2022.

South Korea's Incheon Airport increased its capacity by 19 percent this month compared to last month, marking the biggest increase in the top 10 hubs. Incheon Airport rose one level to ninth for international flights.

Of the top 10 busiest international airports in December, eight were also in the top 10 in December 2019. Airports that rank up, taking them to the top 10 now, are Doha (up from position 13 to eighth position) and Madrid (up from position 14 to position 10).

Meanwhile, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport maintained its dominance in December at the world's 10 busiest global airports, accounting for domestic and international capacities.

It is known, the list of the top 10 busiest airports in the world is calculated using the total capacity of airplane seats (domestic and international). While the top 10 busiest international airports are calculated using only international seats.

Atlanta continues to be the busiest airport in the world with 4.7 million seats, an increase of 1 percent compared to last month, according to OAG estimates.

Dubai and Tokyo Haneda airports remain in second and third place, respectively, with Dubai increasing capacity between November and December 2022 by 8 percent, while Tokyo Haneda by 7 percent.

Dubai's Government safety measures, cooler weather, a growing list of tourist attractions and people's desire to travel after two years of lockdown, are several other factors that make Dubai an attractive destination for visitors, Dubai Airport Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said.

Recovery at the airport, the hub for Emirates airlines, continues, with strong travel requests recorded during the summer peak, as international borders reopen and coronavirus restrictions eased.

Hub Teluk benefited from smooth operations, compared to several major European airports staggered by strikes, causing widespread disruption as demand surged back after the pandemic.

London Heathrow remains in fourth place with a 4 percent increase in capacity this month and Dallas Fort Worth in fifth place with a 5 percent increase in capacity, according to OAG data.

Delhi rose three places to seventh place with an increase in capacity of 6 percent this month.

While Chicago Airports, Los Angeles, and Istanbul have all dropped one place to eighth, ninth, and 10th positions from Delhi moving up.

The airport, which ranked up, took them to the top 10 in December including Dallas Fort Worth (from 14 to 5), Denver Airport (from 20 to 6) and Istanbul Airport (from 19 to 10), added OAG.

During 2022, #Dubai saw a significant increase in the number of travelers arriving through its various ports, with over 23.5 million people visiting the emirate. This marks an 89% increase compared to 2021.https://t.co/aO8poPNclF pic.twitter.com/uGGkB0fE2T

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 5, 2023