UAE airports passenger traffic jumps by 56.3% in Q1 2023

UAE airports passenger traffic jumps by 56.3% in Q1 2023

UAE airports registered a 56.3 per cent increase in passenger traffic during the first three months of the year to 31.8 million, according to the General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The GCAA said the number of people travelling through the UAE’s airports reached approximately 31.8 million, an increase of more than 11.5 million compared to the same period in 2022 – where about 20.4 million passengers were recorded. The authority said the increase in passenger traffic indicates the aviation sector’s success in restoring pre-COVID-19 passenger traffic levels. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director-general of the GCAA said the UAE civil aviation sector has managed to restore passenger traffic to pre-pandemic levels. Al Suwaidi highlighted that the numbers recorded in the first quarter of the year confirm global confidence in the UAE’s civil aviation sector and its ability to recover and achieve growth. The GCAA expects traffic at the UAE’s airports to remain on the growth trajectory in 2023. Al Suwaidi said the number of national airlines’ destinations reached approximately 536 in Q1 2023, including joint destinations. The UAE’s aviation sector contributes around 14 per cent to the gross domestic product and the investment in the sector is projected