Actualiteiten

Dubai cargo volumes up 31.5% in Jan

25 februari 2010

Dubai cargo volumes up 31.5% in Jan

by Tamara Walid

Cargo volumes transported through Dubai airport were up 31.5 percent in January, against a year ago, while passenger traffic increased 17 percent, a statement said on Tuesday, expecting the trend to continue.

January saw 3.9 million passengers pass through the airport, versus 3.3 in 2009. Freight volumes were up to 171.5 thousand tonnes, from 130.4 thousand tonnes a year ago, Dubai Airports company said.

Middle Eastern airlines registered the highest growth rate of 11.2 percent in air passenger traffic globally for 2009, as carriers snapped up long-haul connecting traffic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in January.

Dubai Airports Company attributed the increase in traffic and volumes to a rise in economic activity and the expansion of Emirates Skycargo, resulting in increases of 40 percent in trans-shipments, 34 percent in exports and 29 percent in imports.

Air cargo traffic -- a barometer of the strength of world trade -- in December was 24.4 percent higher than a year earlier, IATA said.

"Freight growth is likely to continue throughout the rest of the year as additional capacity comes on line and global cargo movement picks up," chief executive Paul Griffiths said.

Some of the expected increase will be handled at Dubai World Central, also called Al Maktoum International, upon opening for cargo activity in June, the company said. (Reuters)