Passenger traffic at Dubai International surpassed 43 million in the first half of 2017, according to the traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports.

DXB handled a total of 43,054,268 passengers during the first half, up 6.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2016 when the airport welcomed 40,507,251 passengers.

Monthly traffic in June reached 6,084,674 compared to 5,857,503 during the same month last year, up 3.9 per cent.

The relatively modest growth was the outcome of the holy month of Ramadan falling in June, a traditionally slow month.

During the first six months, the top country destinations in terms of total passenger volumes were India (5,943,359), Saudi Arabia (3,108,492), the UK (3,064,172), Pakistan (2,207,497) and the US (1,561,559).

In terms of percentage growth, top regions during the first half were South America (36.4 per cent), Eastern Europe (28.7 per cent) and Asia (18.7 per cent).

Top cities by passenger volumes include London (1,893,038 passengers), Mumbai (1,205,504), Bangkok (1,037,606) and New Delhi (1,016,183).

Flight movements in the first half totalled 205,996, compared to 207,970 recorded during the same period in 2016, a marginal contraction of 0.9 per cent.

In June flight movements totalled 30,841, down 4.7 per cent compared to 32,363 during June 2016.

The average number of passengers per flight during the first half was 218, up 6.9 per cent compared to 204 during the same period in 2016.

“We are pleased with the growth in the first half, and with the rush of travellers expected to hit peak at the end of school holidays later next month, we are looking forward to another quarter of positive growth.

“We will continue to focus on improving service quality at DXB by bringing in new experiences and services to engage and delight our customers,” said Paul Griffiths, chief executive, Dubai Airports.