Dubai airport to handle over 90 million passengers

Dubai - Passengers using the airport rose 5.5 per cent to 88.2 million in 2017.

Dubai International Airport is expected to handle over 90 million passengers this year, said Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports at an aviation industry conference on Tuesday.  
The airport, the hub for Emirates and flydubai, welcomed 67.5 million passengers in first 9 months of 2018. Passengers using the airport rose 5.5 per cent to 88.2 million in 2017.
Saj Ahmad, an analyst at London's StrategicAero Research, said Dubai International's continued investment and growth ensures that it will remain the international gateway of choice as over 90 million passengers transit through the airport this year.
"The introduction of flights from flydubai into Terminal 3 alongside Emirates will be a key catalyst into bolstering traffic numbers and with a focus on next years runway resurfacing work, the shift of some flights to Dubai World Central will provide a much needed re-focus on investment and development there to help the city cope with expanding traffic," Ahmad told Khaleej Times.
With the north-south nexus for travel gravitating around Dubai, he said that Emirates' organic growth means that Dubai International is well positioned to maintain its status as the worlds busiest international airport. "Even with next years runway works which will temper demand and passenger numbers, the airport is still on track to reach approximately 100 million passengers by 2020 or 2021," he said.
Oil, dollar to hit Emirates profit 
Emirates earnings are being squeezed by higher oil prices, a strong dollar, and instability in the global economy, the airline's chief commercial officer said on Tuesday. The warning came ahead of Emirates' half-year financial results for the period ending September 30, which will be released on Thursday.
"The profit will be badly hit by the fuel," Thierry Antinori said at an aviation conference in Dubai, adding that the airline's fuel costs had risen by 40 per cent. "It's difficult to manage." 
The airline's profit more than doubled to Dh2.8 billion ($762 million) last year. But this year concerns about the global economy and political instability are hurting profit, Antinori said.
"It's not been a walk in the park," he said of the first-half. 
The airline is optimistic despite pressure on margins; passengers numbers rose in the first half and its cargo unit is "excelling", Antinori said.
 "We see the glass half-full. There is always opportunity." Chief Executive of sister airline flydubai Ghaith Al Ghaith issued a similar warning, telling the conference higher oil prices had made it a tough year.
With inputs from Reuters