Dubai's Feb-2011 passenger traffic up 5.2%

Dubai Airports reports Dubai passenger traffic up 5.2% - traffic highlights in Feb-2011:

• Passenger numbers: 3.8 million, +5.2%;
• Aircraft movements: 24,646, +7.2%;
• Air cargo: 156,259 tonnes, -9.0%.

Passenger totals on Middle Eastern routes dropped in the month and Dubai Airports reported a sharp decline in traffic to Africa, affected by political unrest in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain. Freight traffic was affected by a decline in traffic from Asia, particularly from China due to the Chinese New Year holidays, as well as by limited flight disruptions in the Middle East. "Dubai International continues to achieve consistent growth even during a period of global turbulence which is affecting the travel plans of millions of people," said CEO Paul Griffiths.