Tag Archives: DXB

Dubai becomes more affordable with My Emirates Pass

Emirates’ customers can explore more of Dubai this summer by enjoying exclusive offers and discounts across the city with My Emirates Pass, which turns the Emirates boarding pass into an exclusive membership card. Those flying to or through Dubai between June 1 and August 31, 2017 can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai’s best known hotspots by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass and a valid form of identification. My Emirates Pass gives customers special discounts at over 120 world class restaurants and hotel dining outlets in Dubai. Exclusive offers are also available on a range of leisure activities, including visits to championship golf courses, thrilling theme parks or luxury spas across the city. Furthermore, My Emirates Pass can be used to enjoy some of the city’s must-see new attractions, such as Dubai Parks and Resorts, which features three theme parks: Bollywood Parks™, MOTIONGATE™ and the region’s first LEGOLAND® Park and LEGOLAND® Water Park.

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Sleep ‘n fly lounge opens at DXB

Passengers flying through Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB) now have more options to get some rest with the launch of the sleep ‘n fly lounge, which offers a total of 27 pods and cabins. Scandinavian-designed for comfort and style, DXB’s new sleep lounge features 20 state-of-the-art “igloo” sleep pods, plus 7 premium double cabins with pullout children beds. Inspired by nature, sleep ’n fly provides ultimate relaxation for a one-hour power nap or an entire night, or any duration in between. Located close to Gate A1 in Concourse A, the sleep ’n fly lounge provides more choices for the passengers travelling through DXB, which also boasts of five-star hotels. Pods and cabins can be reserved in advance on its website and the lounge specially welcomes the members of Priority Pass and LoungeKey. Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President, Dubai Airports Commercial Group, said, “The opening of sleep ‘n fly expands Dubai International’s existing range of rest and relaxation options and is the latest in a line of personalised and engaging products we are rolling out to cater to the evolving needs of global travellers.”

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DXB welcomes 7.6 million passengers in April

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed more than 7.6 million passengers in April 2017 according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. Passenger numbers reached 7,622,946 in April, up by 9.2 per cent, compared to 6,979,063 recorded during the same month in 2016. Following four months of robust growth, the year-to-date traffic reached 30,119,542 compared to 27,926,958 passengers during the corresponding period last year, an increase of 7.8 per cent. “The growth at DXB has been very satisfying in the first four months of the year, and with the Islamic festival of Eid Al Fitr coinciding with the start of the summer holidays next month, we are confident the numbers will boost our performance in the first half,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

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Dubai Airports traffic grows by 7.4% during Q1

Passenger traffic at the world’s number one airport for international passenger numbers, Dubai International (DXB), climbed 7.4 per cent during the first quarter of 2017 to 22,496,596 compared to 20,948,690 recorded during the same period last year, according to traffic results released by Dubai Airports.  The year to date totals follow March results which saw a 3.8 per cent increase in passenger numbers to 7,511,431 compared to 7,237,509 reported in March 2016. The more modest growth rate in March was due to the timing of the Easter holiday which fell during March in 2016 and during April in 2017. The number of passenger flights in March grew 1.0 percent to 34,634 compared to 34,303 last year while year-to-date flight numbers were up 0.5 percent to 100,638 compared to 100,116 recorded during the first quarter of 2016. The average number of passengers per flight in the first three months of the year was 224, compared to 209 during the corresponding period in 2016, an increase of 6.8 per cent. During the first three months of the year, Eastern Europe was the fastest expanding market in terms of percentage growth (33.3 per cent) as the appreciation of the ruble against the US dollar over the past year has increased spending power in Dubai and spiked demand in the Russian market. Asia was the next fastest growing market (22.6 per cent) which benefited from additional capacity provided by Emirates and flydubai in markets such as Thailand, China and the Philippines, followed by South America (22.2 percent). Conversely, the impact of travel bans and electronic device restrictions is starting to be felt on North American traffic figures, which were down 4.3 per cent during …

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9.3% growth at DXB Airport

Passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) continued to grow steadily in February rising 8.8 per cent to 6,948,157, according to the monthly traffic report issued by Dubai Airports. The operator said this brings the total year to date passenger traffic at DXB to 14,985,165, a robust growth of 9.3 per cent compared to 13,711,181 recorded during the first two months of 2016. Eastern Europe was the fastest expanding market in terms of percentage growth (39.1 per cent), followed by Asia (23.8 per cent) and South America (11.6 per cent). India remained the top destination country in February with a total of 937,962 passengers, followed by the UK (516,611 passengers), Saudi Arabia (499,797) and Pakistan (351,477). London topped the list of destination cities with 309,768 passengers, followed by Doha (246,767 passengers), Bangkok (203,432) and Mumbai (194,108).Flight movements at DXB totalled 32,483 during the month under review, a contraction of 2.7 per cent from 33,398 movements recorded in February 2016. Year to date flight movements totaled 69,075, a marginal drop of 0.2 per cent compared to 69,239 during the first two months last year.The average number of passengers per movement during February reached 223 compared to 201 during the corresponding month in 2016, an increase of 11.1 per cent.  DXB recorded 192,704 tonnes of freight in February 2017, down 1.9 per cent from 196,460* tonnes recorded in February 2016. Year to date freight volumes totalled 400,976, a growth of 0.8 per cent compared to 397,942 handled during the corresponding period in 2016. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “This robust growth in passenger numbers in February follows the record 8 million passengers in January, and with the seasonal rush of passengers …

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New baggage rules at Dubai Airports

Under a new rule at Dubai Airports, bags without flat surfaces will be rejected at check-in effective from March 8, 2017. Dubai Airports has advised all airlines operating into DXB of the imminent change and has updated its website, mobile app and signage across the airport to help raise awareness. The rule is aimed to improve service, reduce the risk of mishandling and enhance the performance of its check-in and baggage operation at Dubai International. “Dubai International provides some of the most sophisticated baggage systems in the world,” said Ali Angizeh, Vice President of Terminal Operations at Dubai International. “However, even the most technologically advanced systems can be disrupted by irregular shaped or oversized bags. Bags that are round or do not have a flat surface of any kind are by far the largest source of baggage jams. These jams can shut down sections of our system, delay baggage delivery to the aircraft and inconvenience our customers.” “We are trying to get the message out there as much as possible,” added Angizeh. “Passengers, who show up at the airport with non-compliant baggage, will also be given the option to have it repacked in boxes for a fee.” Stretching 140 kilometres and covering a surface area of 75 football fields, DXB’s baggage handling system is among the largest in the world. It has 15,000 trays and is powered by 21,000 motors. DXB handled approximately 9.3 million bags in January this year. A bag spends an average of 29 minutes in the baggage system at DXB.

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World’s fastest Wi-Fi at Dubai Airport

Dubai Airports has launched the world’s fastest free Wi-Fi connection at an airport to millions of passengers that travel through DXB each month. Named WOW-Fi, the service provides Internet connection up to 100mbps. This follows Dubai Airports’ launch of an upgraded free unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi connection across Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) in December last year. Commenting on DXB’s latest offering, Michael Ibbitson, Executive Vice President of Technology and Infrastructure at Dubai Airports said, “As the biggest international airport in the world, we are at the heart of many journeys across the globe. To support these travellers, late last year we have launched unlimited free high-speed Wi-Fi for our customers across our airports but our goal was to offer something they have never experienced at an airport before. With WOW-Fi, passengers will get a speed of up to 100mbps to enable them to quickly download or upload emails, pictures, videos and social media updates and then get on with enjoying the airport or connecting to their friends and family across the world.” “We are always looking at ways to enhance airport experience for our customers by introducing the latest and best in technology and constantly making improvements to our existing services and facilities. During the two months since the soft launch of WOW-Fi, the service has been enjoyed by an average of over 100,000 unique users per day. We are certain the WOW-Fi experience will impress the 89 million passengers we expect to welcome at DXB in 2017,” he added. The unlimited free Wi-Fi at DXB connects with just one click and offers speed that sets a new benchmark for airports globally. To ensure the speed and …

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Dubai Airports welcomes Sichuan Airlines’ first direct flight

Dubai Airports welcomed Sichuan Airlines’ first direct flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Dubai International (DXB) with a traditional water salute. The airline, which operates into DXB’s Concourse D, offers two weekly flights on Airbus A330. Sichuan Airlines joined DXB’s list of 90 international airlines in September 2015 when the carrier launched flights between Chengdu and Dubai via Yinchuan Hedong International Airport. A direct connection to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, which is a major international airport serving the capital of China’s Sichuan province, is a significant addition to DXB’s connectivity which spans 240 destinations across six continents.

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Now use Emirates ID card to pass through Smart Gates at Dubai Airports

A new service that enables the use of Emirates ID cards to pass through automated immigration gates at Dubai International (DXB) is gaining popularity, with more than 234,000 UAE residents using it during its phased roll out. Completely free of charge and requiring no pre-registration, the new service makes passing through immigration Smart Gates fast and convenient for all UAE residents. The first of its kind in the region, it is the result of the joint efforts of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), the Emirates Identity Authority and Dubai Airports. The new service, available on all 127 Smart Gates across all three terminals at Dubai International, has been enabled by creating a secure and efficient link between various operational systems and databases managed by Emirates Identity Authority, GDRFA and Dubai Airports. Upon inserting the Emirates ID Card into the Smart Gate, the system can quickly, accurately and efficiently confirm the identity, travel plans and eligibility of UAE residents to enter and depart the country.

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7.7 million passengers recorded at Dubai Airport in August

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed a record 7.7 million passengers in August, eclipsing its previous record achieved in July, according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. Passenger traffic at DXB passengers reached 7,727,105 compared to 7,282,256 recorded in the corresponding month last year, an increase of 6.1 per cent. The year to date traffic totalled 55,850,353 passengers up 6.9 per cent compared to 52,264,223 recorded during the first eight months of 2015. The seasonal rush of travellers, in particular UAE residents returning for the start of the academic year, boosted the traffic leading to a bumper month. Spurred by additional capacity and new services launched by a number of carriers including Emirates and flydubai, Eastern Europe was the fastest-expanding market in terms of percentage growth (67.9 per cent), followed by Asia (13 per cent), South America (11.7 per cent), and the Indian Subcontinent (11.7 per cent). India remained the top destination country (924,256 passengers), followed by the UK (584,508 passengers) and Saudi Arabia (535,280 passengers). London was the top destination city with 371,320 passengers followed closely by Doha (252,616 passengers) and Kuwait (240,712 passengers). Baku (+284.5 per cent) topped the list of cities in terms of percentage growth, followed by Mashhad (118.6 per cent) and Boston (88.2 per cent) – growth on the routes boosted by increased capacity.The average number of passengers per flight during the month was 237 – one of the highest DXB has ever seen. Aircraft movements totalled 33,827 during the month under review compared to 34,773 movements recorded in August 2015, marginally down by 2.7 per cent. Year to date aircraft movement totalled 276,233 up 2.9 per cent compared to 268,360, recorded during …

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