Dubai International (DXB) airport maintained its top position as the busiest airport for international passenger traffic for the ninth consecutive year in 2022, according to Airports Council International (ACI).

Dubai airport’s passenger traffic more than doubled to over 66 million in 2022 on the back of a strong recovery in the local and international aviation sector, prompting DXB to raise its forecast for 2023 to 78 million.

In 2022, DXB received a total of 66,069,981 passengers, a massive jump of 127 per cent when compared to the previous year. The fourth-quarter passenger traffic also reached the pre-pandemic level.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said they’re thrilled to top the list yet again on the back of stellar performance throughout 2022 and the upsurge in traffic in the final quarter.

“The increase in demand for air travel was universal in 2022, but what set DXB apart was the dedication of our people and the meticulous planning and preparation by each and every service partner that makes up Dubai’s amazing airport community,” said Griffiths.

Dubai airport chief said the focus remains on keeping DXB on top of the list of the busiest hubs.

According to ACI data, the other top 10 busiest airports for international passenger traffic in 2022 were London’s Heathrow (58.243m passengers), Amsterdam (52.46 million), Paris (51.76m), Istanbul (48.5m), Frankfurt (44.77m), Madrid (36.23m), Doha (35.7m), Singapore (31.9m) and London’s Gatwick Airport (30.14m).

The Council data showed Singapore airport recorded the highest growth in international passenger traffic of 952.9 per cent in 2022, followed by London’s Gatwick Airport (501.5 per cent), Heathrow Airport (230.5 per cent), Madrid (136.2 per cent), Paris (128.9 per cent) and Dubai International (127 per cent).

International passenger traffic continued to expand this year as the latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) data showed 89.7 per cent growth in February 2023 as compared to the same month last year with all markets recording strong growth.