FILE – Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, attends the Dubai Air Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 15, 2021. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, announced Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, it served 41.6 million passengers in the first half of this year exceeding figures for the same period in 2019 as travelers return to the air after the lockdowns of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File)
DUBAI – Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, announced Tuesday it served 41.6 million passengers in the first half of this year — exceeding figures for the same period in 2019 as travelers return to the air after the lockdowns of the coronavirus pandemic.
The airport, home to the long-haul carrier Emirates in skyscraper-studded Dubai, long has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide. The new figures at the airport known as DXB reflect figures offered by the International Air Transport Association that traffic worldwide is at 94% of pre-COVID levels.