Dubai Airports has entered the winter travel season with one of its strongest networks in history, as Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International (DWC) welcome new airlines and expanded connectivity to meet rising seasonal travel demand.

Direct traffic remains a defining feature of DXB’s winter season, now accounting for 55% of passenger demand. 

This uplift is part of a regular annual cycle influenced by the cooler climate, a packed calendar of international business, sports and entertainment events, residents travelling abroad for holidays or family gatherings, and the continuous flow of people choosing to live in Dubai for the long or medium term, said Dubai Airports in a statement.

Europe and Central Asia are driving considerable uplift this winter. FlyArystan joined the network on 29 November with twice-weekly flights from the Kazakh city of Aktau, while Austrian Airlines returned on 2 December with five weekly services from Vienna. 

Capacity from European carriers is also rising. Virgin Atlantic has deployed the A350-1000 on its Dubai route, lifting seat capacity by 52%, and British Airways has restored A380 services from London Heathrow. Together, these moves signal robust confidence from European markets heading into the festive season.

Seasonal demand from South Asia and the wider Middle East is also deepening DXB’s connectivity, said the statement. 

Varesh Airline introduced twice-weekly flights from Sari in Iran on October 30, and Fly Jinnah added twice-weekly services from Lahore on November 2, reinforcing strong point-to-point traffic from regional hubs where winter travel to and from Dubai typically intensifies.

One of the sharpest rises this season is coming from Saudi Arabia. which is already DXB’s second-largest country market at 7.8% of total passengers as of October year-to-date. 

Combined traffic from Saudi Arabia reached 6.3 million across DXB and DWC, up 1.3% year-on-year, with DWC recording a standout increase of 459% to 173,000 passengers, it stated.

DWC’s role in Dubai’s wider aviation landscape is becoming more visible with many airlines now taking advantage of its readily available capacity and using it to complement existing DXB services. 

The airport welcomed 1.1 million guests in the first 10 months of the year, a 36.6% increase supported by demand from CIS, GCC and Western European markets. Its cargo and aircraft movement figures also continue to grow, reinforcing DWC’s strategic momentum, said the statement.

Eurowings is contributing significantly to this growth with a new daily DXB service from Stuttgart, a three times a week Düsseldorf service at DWC and increased frequencies to Berlin, Cologne and Hannover, including its Premium Bizclass on the Berlin route, it added.

Robert Whitehouse, Vice President of Research at Dubai Airports, said "Winter is always a pivotal period for Dubai’s aviation sector, and the breadth of this season’s network shows how strongly demand continues to evolve. The growth in direct traffic across both of our airports reflects a balanced mix of inbound visitors, outbound travel from residents and the many people choosing to make Dubai their home. It is a reminder that our connectivity is not only expanding but becoming more diverse and resilient."

"This winter’s schedule enhancements reflect the confidence of airline partners in Dubai’s strong and diverse travel demand," he stated. 

"They also underline the city’s appeal not only to visitors and business travellers, but to the many people who choose Dubai as their home, contributing to sustained growth in direct traffic and reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets," he added.

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