Dubai International Airport had 86.9 million passengers last year in a post-pandemic surge
By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The number of passengers flying through Dubai International Airport surged last year beyond its total for 2019 — just before the coronavirus pandemic grounded global aviation. The airport is the world’s busiest for international travel, and its passenger numbers are a barometer for the aviation industry. The figures released Monday showed 2023 was still shy of the all-time high in 2018. But they showed how much the airport has bounced back from the pandemic. The destinations for the airport’s 86.9 million passengers last year were mainly the usual ones — India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Pakistan. Russia was also a major market as Dubai is one of the few places open to Russians during the war on Ukraine.