Dubai International has taken over as the world’s third ranked airport for international passenger numbers, leaping ahead of Hong Kong International Airport in the global rankings.
According to the annual traffic report issued by Dubai Airports, passenger traffic surged 13.2% to 57.6 million in 2012, up from 50.9 million passengers recorded during 2011.
The year-end numbers were bolstered by a record 5.3m passengers in December 2012, 13.4% higher than the number recorded in December 2011 and the second month in Dubai International’s 52-year history that passenger traffic has exceeded five million passengers.
India remained Dubai International’s single biggest country destination in terms of passenger numbers.
"Moving into the top three is a fantastic achievement for Dubai International and we now have London’s Heathrow and the number one spot firmly within our sights," said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.
