ID :
72383
Mon, 07/27/2009 - 16:22
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https://www.oananews.org//node/72383
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Dubai surpasses Hong Kong in passenger traffic
Dubai, July 27, 2009 (WAM) - Dubai International airport left behind Hong Kong International Airport in terms of passenger numbers for the first time last month, according to the latest report by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, or Capa, Emirates Business 24|7 reported.
"The global financial crisis has accelerated Dubai's ascent, as key financial hubs, such as Hong Kong, fall back sharply, while the swine flu outbreak is also affecting demand in Asia," the Capa report stated.
It added: "Dubai International, home of the aggressive, fast-growing Emirates airline, continues its relentless climb up the ranking of the world's busiest international airports. Last year it was Singapore. Earlier this year it was Bangkok. Now it's Hong Kong's turn."
The latest passenger statistics by Capa revealed that Dubai handled 3.36 million passengers in June 2009, about 55,000 more than Hong Kong. Whereas, Singapore handled about 3.1 million passengers for the month, overtaking Bangkok, which handled 2.8 million as Thai Airways "haemorrhages cash".
In contrast, for the first six months of the year, Hong Kong was still the largest of the group under review, as per the Capa estimates, handling 22.4 million passengers, while Dubai handled 19.4 million passengers, ahead of Bangkok's 18.9 million and Singapore's 17.3 million passengers.
"While the Asia-Pacific airports continue to shrink, as home carriers scale back capacity to deal with plummeting passenger numbers, Dubai continues to go from strength to strength, with just one month of falling passenger traffic this year and double-digit growth in June 2009," Capa said in the report, adding that the Middle East aviation market (and the new generation sixth freedom models employed by the region's major airlines) has proved highly resilient to the downturn.
Sure enough, Dubai's passenger traffic has gone up by five per cent over the past six months and the airport recorded a notable 10.3 per cent increase in June 2009, recording a year-on-year double-digit growth on the back of strong demand during the peak summer period.
The three terminals at Dubai International handled a total of 3,361,413 passengers in June 2009 up sharply from 3,048,220 in the same period last year, Dubai Airports said last week.
The outlook for the rest of the summer period, through to the end of September and beyond, "remains strong", according to Chief Executive of Dubai Airports Paul Griffith's recent statement.
He added: "The fact that Dubai International Airport is recording double-digit passenger growth during the deepest global recession in decades bodes well for the future. "When the current economic situation improves, Dubai will be in good shape, ready to lead the global recovery in air travel."
This poses a clear contrast with the significant falls in passenger traffic at the other hub airports across the world, with Bangkok down the most at 10.7 per cent (-7.9 per cent in June 2009 alone), in the first half of this year, followed by Hong Kong, which dropped by 8.4 per cent (-18.9 per cent in June), and Singapore down 7.6 per cent, Capa said. "The unrest in Thailand over late 2008 and early 2009 has contributed heavily to the half-year downturn in Bangkok," the report pointed out.
If the first-half trends continue through the second half of 2009, then Dubai is likely to handle about 39.3 million passengers for the full year, not too far short of Hong Kong, Capa said, further clarifying that this is "not a forecast". It added that a more buoyant Chinese economy could be Hong Kong's saviour.
Meanwhile, according to Airports Council International (ACI), Dubai International was rated as the sixth largest airport worldwide in terms of international passengers in 2008, and has consistently been the fastest growing of the top 20 international airports over the past five years.
"If Dubai's trajectory continues, it could climb ahead of Hong Kong, Frankfurt and Amsterdam in international passenger throughput over the next few years, becoming the largest international airport outside Europe. As it stands at the moment, only Hong Kong, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow are larger," the report stated.
Also, according to ACI statistics, the first five months of this year saw global passenger traffic declining by eight per cent with international traffic falling by eight per cent and domestic traffic dropping by seven per cent. –
"The global financial crisis has accelerated Dubai's ascent, as key financial hubs, such as Hong Kong, fall back sharply, while the swine flu outbreak is also affecting demand in Asia," the Capa report stated.
It added: "Dubai International, home of the aggressive, fast-growing Emirates airline, continues its relentless climb up the ranking of the world's busiest international airports. Last year it was Singapore. Earlier this year it was Bangkok. Now it's Hong Kong's turn."
The latest passenger statistics by Capa revealed that Dubai handled 3.36 million passengers in June 2009, about 55,000 more than Hong Kong. Whereas, Singapore handled about 3.1 million passengers for the month, overtaking Bangkok, which handled 2.8 million as Thai Airways "haemorrhages cash".
In contrast, for the first six months of the year, Hong Kong was still the largest of the group under review, as per the Capa estimates, handling 22.4 million passengers, while Dubai handled 19.4 million passengers, ahead of Bangkok's 18.9 million and Singapore's 17.3 million passengers.
"While the Asia-Pacific airports continue to shrink, as home carriers scale back capacity to deal with plummeting passenger numbers, Dubai continues to go from strength to strength, with just one month of falling passenger traffic this year and double-digit growth in June 2009," Capa said in the report, adding that the Middle East aviation market (and the new generation sixth freedom models employed by the region's major airlines) has proved highly resilient to the downturn.
Sure enough, Dubai's passenger traffic has gone up by five per cent over the past six months and the airport recorded a notable 10.3 per cent increase in June 2009, recording a year-on-year double-digit growth on the back of strong demand during the peak summer period.
The three terminals at Dubai International handled a total of 3,361,413 passengers in June 2009 up sharply from 3,048,220 in the same period last year, Dubai Airports said last week.
The outlook for the rest of the summer period, through to the end of September and beyond, "remains strong", according to Chief Executive of Dubai Airports Paul Griffith's recent statement.
He added: "The fact that Dubai International Airport is recording double-digit passenger growth during the deepest global recession in decades bodes well for the future. "When the current economic situation improves, Dubai will be in good shape, ready to lead the global recovery in air travel."
This poses a clear contrast with the significant falls in passenger traffic at the other hub airports across the world, with Bangkok down the most at 10.7 per cent (-7.9 per cent in June 2009 alone), in the first half of this year, followed by Hong Kong, which dropped by 8.4 per cent (-18.9 per cent in June), and Singapore down 7.6 per cent, Capa said. "The unrest in Thailand over late 2008 and early 2009 has contributed heavily to the half-year downturn in Bangkok," the report pointed out.
If the first-half trends continue through the second half of 2009, then Dubai is likely to handle about 39.3 million passengers for the full year, not too far short of Hong Kong, Capa said, further clarifying that this is "not a forecast". It added that a more buoyant Chinese economy could be Hong Kong's saviour.
Meanwhile, according to Airports Council International (ACI), Dubai International was rated as the sixth largest airport worldwide in terms of international passengers in 2008, and has consistently been the fastest growing of the top 20 international airports over the past five years.
"If Dubai's trajectory continues, it could climb ahead of Hong Kong, Frankfurt and Amsterdam in international passenger throughput over the next few years, becoming the largest international airport outside Europe. As it stands at the moment, only Hong Kong, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow are larger," the report stated.
Also, according to ACI statistics, the first five months of this year saw global passenger traffic declining by eight per cent with international traffic falling by eight per cent and domestic traffic dropping by seven per cent. –
