Slower cargo growth at Dubai’s DXB as cargo ops move south to DWC

Freight volumes handled at Dubai International Airport (DXB) during November increased by 0.4 percent, year-over-year, with tonnage totaling 235,651, compared to 234,743 tonnes for the same month in 2016. November’s total brings the year-to-date cargo volume for the airport up to more than 2.43 million tonnes, a 2.7 percent rise over the 2.36 million tonnes recorded during the first 11 months of 2016.

DXB’s volumes only tell half the story here, since Dubai-based Emirates SkyCargo operates all of its full-freighter flights out of Dubai World Center (DWC), to the south. DWC ranks 20th, globally, for international cargo traffic, while DXB handles most of Emirates’ passenger traffic. In theory, this distinction means that the incremental increase in DXB volumes is a better indicator of belly capacity than the carrier’s broader cargo trends.

To the south, DWC hasn’t yet released its November numbers, but cargo volumes at the airport grew by 9.1 percent, y-o-y, during the first nine months of 2017, suggesting strong growth in freighter activity.

The aggregate numbers for both airports substantiate Emirates SkyCargo announcement last week that 2017 saw record volumes and expansion, with the airline carrying 2.5 million tonnes of freight this year across its global network.