DXB welcomes its billionth passenger

Dubai Airports, along with HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and representatives from aviation sector and the emirate of Dubai recently welcomed its billionth passenger at Dubai International Airport (DXB). Nine-year-old Arjun and his family arrived from Orlando, Florida.
At a celebration held in DXB, Arjun, along with his mother Ramya, father Venkatesh and thirteen-year-old brother Varun, were personally greeted by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports. The family was delighted with details of an unforgettable and surprising set of experiences that showcase Dubai’s longstanding reputation for excitement, luxury and modern Arabic hospitality, organised for the next few days of their trip.
At the airport, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports, said, “This landmark billionth-passenger achievement is the result of team work and collaboration, and special thanks goes out to each and every member of the airport community who have played a role in this journey. Of course, we would not be in this position if it weren’t for the visionary leadership of HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler, Dubai both of whom foresaw the development of Dubai into a global centre for trade, tourism and commerce enabled by a fast-growing and world-leading aviation sector with top-flight airport infrastructure.”
The billionth customer is arguably the most significant in a long litany of achievements since the airport first opened on September 30, 1960. Today, the hub is widely considered a benchmark for its quality infrastructure, passenger and cargo volumes and high-service levels despite unrelenting growth. DXB handles an average of 7.5 million customers every month and this year broke its own traffic record thrice with more than 8.3 million customers in a month. Nothing puts DXB’s growth in perspective more than the fact that the airport took 51 years – from September 30, 1960 to December 31, 2011 – to reach its 500 millionth passenger but clocked the remaining 500 million in just seven years. Over the past 11 years alone, Dubai Airports has opened seven major facilities with an investment of almost $12 billion.