Cargo volumes at Dubai International Airport were up 5.6 per cent in 2009 following a dramatic 26 per cent jump in December and double-digit increases during the last quarter of 2009. The full year cargo traffic reached 1.93 tonnes compared to 1.82 tonnes during the same period in 2008.

Dubai Airports Cargo handled 182,874 tonnes of freight in December 2009 compared to 145,176 tonnes during the corresponding month in 2008. Growth was mainly driven by major international conventions and events, a gradual improvement in the global economy and expansion by the airport’s largest cargo carrier Emirates Airline, Dubai Airports said in a statement.

The Dubai airport saw a 9.2 per cent growth in passengers for the full year 2009, reaching a record 40.9 million passengers for the year. According to Airports Council International’s (ACI) figures, 46 of the 50 busiest airports worldwide in terms of international passenger traffic reported negative growth during the first three quarters of 2009. The only airports other than Dubai International reporting increases were Istanbul (6.3 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (4.6 per cent) and Cairo (1.5 per cent).

Dubai International handled a total of 3.82 passengers in December 2009 compared to 3.33 passengers during the same month in 2008, an increase of 14.5 per cent.

“Dubai Airports is setting the pace globally. Dubai International’s performance as one of the world’s fastest growing airports in 2009 is particularly impressive considering the traffic contraction seen globally,” said Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports and chief executive, Emirates Airline & Group.

“This rapid growth strengthens our commitment to continue building Dubai into a world-class global aviation and logistics hub. If we can set records in a tough economic environment, the sky is the limit for what we can achieve when conditions improve.”