There is always a lot of traffic in the skies over Dubai. In effect, along with the capital Abu Dhabi, it has become the most important stopover port on the long international routes that link up from various continents, apart from being in itself a primary end destination.
Thanks to constant and progressive growth in recent years, Dubai International Airport manages to be faithful to the spirit of the city itself, effectively swimming against the tide with regard to the negative world trend for the first eight months of 2009, caused by the international recession which is bringing about a drop in global passenger traffic at a rate of 7% (source: Airport Council International). At the time of writing (October), the 2009 partial balance closed with a precious positive statistic for Dubai Airport for air traffic, which sees an increase of around 6.7%, with passenger numbers at almost 27 million. Numbers, these, which have a doubly positive value because they emerge in this current difficult historical moment. On the basis of this present trend and together with the data gathered in recent years, it is foreseen that passenger traffic at Dubai for the year 2010 will even reach 70 million.
There are many reasons why Dubai International Airport is making such advances on the international chessboard for air traffic. Among these, let us try to illustrate those which are more macroscopic. Although, at the moment, the underground train line which will link the airport directly to the metropolis is not yet active (it is foreseen for mid 2010) it has been possible to rely for many years now on the highly efficient motorway network which allows travelers to reach the airport comfortably from all the other Emirates and also from neighboring countries. It is furthermore important to consider that the public taxi service is highly efficient, guaranteeing good ride times, excellent equipment and high quality in terms of vehicles as well as having fares established on the basis of distance in kilometers rather than on the duration of the ride.
Excellent links, therefore, to which one could add, apart from anything else, the magnetic attractiveness of Dubai which, over recent decades, has meritoriously established international fame for itself as a sought after destination for both leisure and business tourism. Given this, Dubai continues furthermore to invest in infrastructure and the most advanced forms of technology, thus guaranteeing airlines the best in security, efficiency and comfort, not just on direct flights, but also as a stopover on long haul flights, for which it has realized a new concept – wellbeing made to measure for the international traveler and realized in such a way as to completely overturn the concept itself of a flight stopover. The stopover transforms itself from being an obligatory stop off and source of fatigue, stress and worsening of the effects of jet lag to a moment to hanker for, of holistic and health treatments, massage which is relaxing, contracture relieving and energizing combining recharging of energies with pleasure, thanks also to snacks and light meals which are balanced and at the same time have a beguiling exotic taste.
What is more, for those who have a stopover which is a little more prolonged (like 15-20 hours, or a flight plan which timetables the next flight after 24 hours or more) Dubai Airport offers excellent hospitality facilities which are completely soundproofed, able to guarantee the utmost comfort and refinement, along with the advantage of being located in the same vast airport area which saves the considerable stress of transfers back and forth which are indispensable for reaching any of the city’s hotels.
We are talking about the two 5 star hotels of the Dubai International Hotels group located at strategic points in the airport, which are particularly convenient to reach and well linked to the check in areas. For those, on the other hand, both in arrival or departing, Dubai Airport offers a multitude of catering services, distributed across 25 locations which range among the most various genres: from the refined restaurant to the snack bar with all possible variations in between, as well as the accommodating cafes, bars, ice cream parlors and pastry counters, sapiently distributed along all routes.
And the well known Duty Free? There are over 5,400 sq. m. dedicated to the most irresistible shopping areas, in which are united the great Arab tradition and workmanship related to pearls and jewelry, the beauty of the fabrics, the extremely rich artisan production, the range of spices and sweets and cakes, articles in metal and wood and everything that recalls the history of the country, including the ancient culture of the Bedouin. In this fascinating world, in which it is very easy to “lose oneself”, you can also find international products of whatever origin and sector, available in assortments or forms which are just about endless, capable of satisfying just about any requirement.
Furthermore there are numerous services which have been specifically conceived in order to offer the best in comfort to clients, among which there is Al Majlis, a series of services dedicated to procedures of registration, booking, visas (where necessary) and useful information, all carried out with great rapidity and with hardly any waiting time. Whoever passes through Dubai International Airport can also rely on extremely efficient services for banking (including currency exchange), postal services, business centers, personnel dedicated to passengers with disabilities, medical assistance (a complete medical centre is permanently active), prayer room, car hire, hospitality rooms, bookings and information for guests of many hotel groups (cared for independently by the personnel employed by the group), car parks with unlimited spaces, taxis and line buses. Furthermore, for whatever airport service one cares to mention, it is worth knowing that, at Dubai, the service is available 24 hours a day, thus guaranteeing even to travelers whose timetables are among the least “comfortable” the utmost in efficiency.
The prestigious Emirates Airways company uses this airport as its principle operative base in the UAE. Although many think that Emirates is the flagship company for the Arab Emirates, in reality this title goes to the equally excellent Etihad, which, for its part, depends principally on Abu Dhabi International Airport. Ownership of Emirates is mixed, being made up of quotations belonging to private individuals/companies and others from some of the Emirates themselves. In this case also, one encounters advanced levels in terms of rolling stock, technology and human resources.
A general level of basic quality which also extends to the Economy Class, even if it reaches peaks of quality and absolute luxury in First Class and Business Class. Emirates offers flights to and from all continents, with local offices in the principal countries of the world and highly qualified personnel. The range of services on offer is of the most complete, both on the ground and airborne. We could cite, purely as an example, the option of online check-in, for which Emirates itself reminds the client via email 24 hours prior to take off (the moment in which the service becomes available) allowing considerable saving in terms of time and stress at the airport. Among the in-flight comforts on offer, our chosen example is the courtesy and elegance of the personnel, the remarkable quality of the meals served (which it would be hard to compare with that of many other companies) and the many entertainment opportunities, thanks to the personal monitors available to each passenger, with headphones, which can be used to choose among hundreds of channels dedicated to modern and classic films, news, shows, music videos, cartoons and video games. All in a choice of languages and accompanied by a precious electric socket which allows one to use a laptop or recharge a mobile phone, video camera or whatever else we can take on board a plane!