by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:31 PM ET, Tue February 22, 2022
Officials from Dubai International Airport (DBX) announced it was the world's busiest airport for international travel with around 29 million passengers last year, the eighth consecutive year the facility earned the honor.
According to The Associated Press, the 29.1 million passengers arriving and departing from DBX in 2021 was a 12-percent increase from the previous year, but was still down considerably from the pre-pandemic milestone of 86.4 million in 2019.
With less fear surrounding the micron variant and border restrictions being lifted, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said he believes 57 million travelers will come through the airport in 2022 and expects a full recovery to pre-pandemic figures by 2024.
In 2021, 70 percent of the people who came through the Dubai airport represented arrivals, likely residents returning to the United Arab Emirates. Before the pandemic, around half of all international travelers coming through the facility were transiting through the city.
"Dubai has done such a good job in reassuring travelers," Griffiths told Reuters. "It's a safe city to visit and to come and holiday and do business. So, I think the actual trends to recovery are very encouraging, indeed."
Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) announced earlier this month the city welcomed more than seven million visitors in 2021, representing year-over-year growth of 32 percent.
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