Dubai Overtakes London Heathrow As Busiest International Airport

An Emirates A380 en route to Dubai

Dubai International Airport was the busiest airport in the world for international passengers in the first quarter of 2014, overtaking the long-standing incumbent, London Heathrow.

The airport, the home of Emirates Airline, said that it handled 18.36 million international passengers in the first quarter.  London Heathrow reported 16 million for the same period.

Heathrow held the title for 2013, Dubai was in second place, and they were followed by Hong Kong International Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Dubai’s airport reported an 11.4% year-over-year increase in traffic.  “The growth in passenger and freight traffic supports our continued investment in expanding and improving our facilities at Dubai International,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

Approximately 50% of passengers arriving in Dubai are in transit.  Emirates, the largest carrier at the airport, uses Dubai as a hub to connect passengers travelling to and from Asia and Australasia with Europe and the United States.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)