UAE airports hit 31.8 million passengers in Q1

The number of passengers travelling through the UAE airports during the first quarter of 2023 topped 31.86 million, an increase of 56.3 per cent compared to the corresponding three months in 2022.

In a statement to the National News Agency WAM, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, said the total number of passengers reached 31,862,635, an increase of more than 11.48 million passengers.

It said 20,381,324 passengers were recorded from January 1 to March 31, 2022.

He emphasised the UAE civil aviation sector has managed to restore pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels and expected continued growth this year, highlighting the success of three national low-cost carriers - Air Arabia, flydubai, and Wizz Air.

Al Suwaidi also stated the number of destinations served by national airlines has reached 536.

Investment in the UAE's civil aviation sector was more than AED 1 trillion, Al Suwaidi continued, while the size of investments in the development and expansion of airports reached AED 85 billion to accommodate over 300 million passengers annually.

He noted that the aviation sector in the country contributes about 14 per cent of the gross domestic product while, in major countries, the aviation sector's contribution does not exceed 2 to 3 per cent.