Dubai's busy airport sees passenger traffic drop 40% in 2021

Dubai International Airport is the world’s busiest for international travel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport for international travel, handled some 40% less passenger traffic in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period last year, its chief executive said Wednesday. The decline came as more contagious coronavirus variants cut off the hub's biggest source markets and continued to clobber the global aviation industry. However, CEO Paul Griffiths remains optimistic for the crucial east-west transit point as authorities gradually re-open Dubai's key routes to the Indian subcontinent and Britain. The 10.6 million passengers that passed through the airport over the past six months “is still very positive," Griffiths told The Associated Press. “I think coupled with the restrictions easing that we’re now seeing, (it) will bode very well for a satisfactory end to the year.”