Dubai International leads airport connectivity index in ME, Asia-Pacific: report

Dubai International leads airport connectivity index in ME, Asia-Pacific: report

Image: Dubai Airports

Dubai International has claimed the top spot in total airport connectivity rankings for 2022 in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, according to the latest Airport Connectivity Report, released by the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific and Middle East.

Dubai headed the rankings with Doha, Tokyo and Singapore following next.

The ACI report developed in collaboration with PwC measures passengers’ ability to access the global air transport network, covering both direct and indirect routes, and considering the quality of service of each connection,  including destination choice, service frequency, onward connectivity and price.

Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific and Middle East  announced the findings of the report at the recent debut of its Middle East office in Riyadh.

Key findings

The ACI report found that the aviation sector in the Middle East crossed pre-pandemic highs, reporting a 26 per cent growth in total air connectivity in 2022.

The sector generated $260bn (9.5 per cent of the GDP) over this period, while employing 4.6 million people. In the Asia-Pacific region, it contributed $1tn (3.3 per cent of GDP), employing 56 million people.

Key drivers of this growth included low-cost carriers in the Middle East and a rise in middle-sized airports such as Riyadh’s King Khalid International