Cargo climbs steeply at Al Maktoum International Airport

September 7, 2015

Cargo volumes at Al Maktoum International Airport – Dubai World Central (DWC) – rose by 42 per cent in the first half of 2016, interim figures show.

Volumes for the six months to 30 June 2015 hit 443,012 tonnes, the airport says. This performance nudges DWC further up the ranks of top cargo airports. In 20th position earlier this year, DWC now sits in 19th place.

According to Dubai Airports, the robust growth in cargo volumes is due to their decision relocate all dedicated freighters from Dubai International Airport to DWC in May last year.

Aircraft movements at DWC came to 20,866 in the first half of 2015, down 17 per cent from the 25,184 movements in the same period last year.

“The story is only just beginning for DWC but the early results continue to impress,” said Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports.

“The airport is quickly emerging as an important cargo hub and with the addition of 70 weekly flydubai flights to seven new destinations in October we expect the airport to soon establish itself as an important gateway to the Middle East.”

Once flydubai operations commence this October, DWC will offer bellyhold cargo through a total of 190 weekly flights to 17 destinations.

When completed, DWC will, Dubai Airports says, be the world’s largest airport, and able to handle 16 million tonnes of cargo a year.

James Graham

James Graham is an award-winning transport media journalist with a long background in the commercial freight sector, including commercial aviation and the aviation supply chain. He was the initial Air Cargo Week journalist and retuned later for a stint as editor. He continues his association as editor of the monthly supplements. He has reported for the newspaper from global locations as well as the UK.