Dubai Airports in Dubai reported a 49 percent surge in passenger traffic to 41.6 million in the first half of the year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
The second quarter fueled the recovery to just over 100 percent of traffic numbers in the first half of 2019, up by nearly 43 percent from the second quarter of 2022 to 20.3 million passengers, the operator said.
Dubai, the tourism and trade hub of the Middle East, has reopened quickly following the pandemic.
An economic recovery has been fuelled by an influx of Russians and business professionals, as well as relaxed social and visa rules, which has resulted in a rise in property prices and rents.
Dubai Airports adjusted its forecast for 2023 to 85 million passengers from 83.6 million in 2019, just 1.6 percent shy of DXB's annual traffic in 2019.
Dubai Airports said in February that DXB's annual passenger traffic last year was 66.1 million.
In the first half, the airport flew 201,800 flights, up 30.2 percent year-on-year. The busiest month of the second quarter was May, with 6.9 million passengers.
India was DXB's top destination, with 6 million passengers in the first half, followed by Saudi Arabia with 3.1 million, the United Kingdom with 2.8 million, and Pakistan with 2 million. The United States, Russia and Germany each had 1.8 million, 1.3 million, and 1.2 million passengers.