#Dubai Airports Traffic Slumps 70% in 2020 on Covid-19 Lockdowns - Bloomberg

Dubai Airports Traffic Slumps 70% in 2020 on Covid-19 Lockdowns - Bloomberg

Dubai International Airport reported a 70% slump in traffic last year as restrictions in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic put the air travel industry into a tailspin.

The number of travelers through the Middle East’s tourism hub fell to 25.9 million in 2020, according to a statement. That included 17.8 million passengers during the first quarter of the year, before the pandemic started to impact travel.

Since then, restrictions on air travel have battered airlines and airports around the world. “For the first time in the 60-year history of the world’s busiest international airport, the month of April saw commercial flights come to almost an entire halt,” the airport said.

Despite the drop in traffic, Dubai International Airport is the largest intercontinental hub in the world, Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Monday. “There’s no reason to suggest why we won’t continue to be able to hold that crown going forward.”