Boosted by passenger numbers breaching the two million-mark in March, DXB's passenger volumes for the first quarter this year reached 5,75 million. This translates to a contraction of 67,8 percent compared to Q1 of 2020, which was largely unaffected by the pandemic related suspension of operations by airlines and airports worldwide towards the end of March.

 Cargo, which has shown more resilience compared to the passenger segment throughout the pandemic, continued its strong recovery despite the reduction in belly-hold capacity. DXB handled a total of 550,811 tonnes of airfreight during the first three months, a year on year increase of 3,2 percent.

 Total flight movements during the first quarter totalled 50,176, down 38,3 percent from 2020, reflecting the impact of the pandemic on airline operations.