Dubai: Dubai International Airport, the Bergible Airport in the world for international travel, handling around 40% less passenger traffic in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period last year, the chief executive said on Wednesday.
The decline came as a more contagious Coronavirus variant cut the biggest source of the Hub and continued to fry the global aviation industry.
However, the CEO Paul Griffiths remains optimistic for the important East-West transit point when the authorities gradually reopen the Dubai key route to Indian and British continental children.
10.6 million passengers passing through the airport for the past six months “are still very positive,” Griffiths told Associated Press.
“I think coupled with the relieve restrictions that we now see, (that) will say very well for a satisfying end for this year.” The airport, which saw 86.4 million people extorted before the hit pandemic in 2019, has held the busiest title in the world for beating London Heathrow seven years ago.
It even keep the crown when the virus changes the world’s largest airport into a massive void.
But the terminal which used to still have a long way before seeing the pre-pandemic passenger level.
The hope triggered by the Speedy United Arab Emirates Vaccination campaign took a hit as a Delta variant appeared, pushing the closure of familiar borders and capacity cuts, and hurting Mammoth airport, the hub of the emirates remote carrier.
Dubai World Central, the second airport of Gulf City who came out of use for commercial flights during a pandemic, seemed to be a parking lot for the Emirates iconic fleet from the Double-Decker Airbus A380s.
Although the UAE recently raised the ban in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which is home to most extensive foreign workers in the federation, strict vaccination requirements still make many flights up to the country.
“All the South Asian markets are very important for Dubai, they are very important transit opportunities, of course, when people go to all parts of North Europe,” Griffiths said.
“It is very important we will restore the traffic.” There is a reason to expect a rebound, Griffiths added.
One of the two main airport terminals, Mothballed in the middle of a pandemic, was returned to use last month to prepare the entry of holiday makers who fled with cold weather and attended the World Expo in October.
And after months of frustration and confusion, England last week released the UAE from “Red List” which ordered all tourists to quarantine for 10 days at the hotel approved by the government expensive.
Upgrading to “Amber” raises a strong relief sigh throughout the Seven Federation Shekhdom, home to around 120,000 UK expatriates.
London is ranked as the top destination city for Dubai airport in 2020, with 1.15 million customers.
Griffiths refused to place numbers on financial hits, but said “losing traffic (to England) had a very, very significant impact on the economy of the two countries.” Very happy is Emirates about the reopening of the flight that the airline demanded a woman at the top of the tall tower on the planet, Burj Khalifa, and filmed its placards who requested the Emirates Union.
The stakes are indeed high for Dubai, where the economy does not thrive, such as other Arab Gulf Sheikhdom, but on trips and tourism.
Emirates remained a wider Linchpin empire known as “Dubai Inc.,” a series of interrelated businesses owned by cities.
There are signs of towering uncertainty, with the airport has not re-employed 5,000 employees who tried during the destruction of last year’s pandemic.
But when asked whether Dubai airport would hold on to his title – one of the most superlative superlatives at the homes of wasteful Emirates to the world’s tallest building and the biggest mall – Griffiths did not miss.
“I didn’t hesitate in my mind,” he said.
“We are preparing to expect a large surge in volume.”