Dubai World Central’s (DWC) airfreight volumes increased 6.5 per cent during the first quarter of the year with 211,144 tonnes being handled compared to 198,295 during the same three months last year.

After first opening for cargo in June 2010, the operator Dubai Airports says DWC is already ranked as the 20th busiest airport globally for international airfreight volumes.

Dubai’s second international hub is currently served by 18 belly carriers, operating an average of 103 flights weekly to 24 international destinations and is home to 42 scheduled cargo operators that fly to as many as 108 destinations around the world.

Dubai Airport chief executive officer, Paul Griffiths says DWC remains an “important element” of its strategy to provide timely capacity to accommodate passenger and cargo traffic growth.