Dubai
International handled a record number of passengers last year, putting it ahead
of London's Heathrow for the first time as the planet's busiest international
airport. Heathrow looks unlikely to win back the crown.
FlyDubai plane landing at Dubai International |
Dubai's
airport operators said Tuesday that 70.5 million passengers streamed through
the city's international airport in 2014, marking a 6-percent increase on last
year.
The rapid
growth put Dubai International squarely ahead of London Heathrow for the first
time as the world's busiest international transport hub.
Dubai
International pulled off the big gains despite having to redirect many flights
to the Gulf city's second airport, Al Maktoum while it overhauled the hub's two
side-by-side runways over the summer.
Rise of
domestic carriers
Dubai
Airports CEO Paul Griffiths predicted Dubai International would top its own
record and handle 79 million passengers this year, saying it offered "more
flights connecting more people to more destinations."
Dubai
airport has been expanding fast thanks in part to the growth of hometown
airline Emirates, and smaller budget carrier FlyDubai.
Both
airlines and the city's airports are owned by the emirate's government, which
has championed aviation as a central driver of the local economy.
While Dubai
is now home to the busiest international aviation hub, Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta, in the US, remains the world's busiest passenger airport overall.
hg/bk (Reuters, AFP, AP)
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