2m passengers on 2 weekends… DXB’s guide for travellers’ convenience

The annual summer travel peak is here and Dubai International (DXB) airport is gearing up to welcome nearly two million passengers over the two weekends of June 30 and July 7.

With schools across the UAE closing for the summer break, over 900,000 passengers are anticipated to pass through DXB from June 30 to July 3 and a similar volume of travellers is forecast on the following weekend from July 7-10 around the Islamic festival of Eid Al Fitr.

To ensure that the summer rush of travellers flows smoothly through its facilities while they have a great time eating, relaxing and shopping, operator Dubai Airports is launching the Hangout@DXB campaign to encourage departing passengers to get to the airport early.

“Nearly a quarter of a million passengers will be passing through our facility every day during the two weekends. While we are very happy with the ongoing growth in traffic, we want to make sure that our customers can make the most of the wide range of food, spa & relaxation, shopping choices available at DXB, and have a comfortable and memorable start to their vacation,” said Anita Mehra, Senior Vice President of Communications and Reputation, at Dubai Airports.

Like every year, Dubai Airports, in collaboration with airlines and other partners at DXB is taking a number of measures, including a public awareness campaign and the deployment of additional resources across the airport to ease passenger flow through the facility.

Dubai Airports has also issued summer travel tips to support passenger convenience during the travel peak.

Smart Travel Tips

* Be sure to check which airport and terminal you are departing from/arriving into beforehand. Passengers can confirm with their airline or check www.dubaiairports.ae

* Arrive early at the airport. It is best to leave a minimum of three hours for check-in and passport control. Take into consideration daily rush hours and available routes in calculating your commuting time to the airport.

* Leave extra time for your journey to the airport as the roads will be very busy. Please say your goodbyes at home.

* Check with the airline in advance for information on your baggage allowance. Irrespective of the allowance, a single unit of baggage weighing more than 32kgs will not be accepted at check-in. You should expect to be charged for baggage in excess of the limit set by your respective airline.

* It is always simpler to pack liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) in your check-in baggage. However, if you have to carry LAGs in your hand luggage, make sure they are in a clear re-sealable plastic bag. Each item should not be more than 100ml and the total content of all items should not be more than one litre.

* Beat the queues by checking-in online or using the self-service check-in kiosks in the departures hall. Customers with baggage can make use of the quick-baggage drop counters, while those carrying only hand luggage can proceed directly to Immigration.

* Remember to put anything metal – watch, jewellery, mobile phone, coins, belt – into your hand luggage well before you arrive at the X-ray machine. This will save time at security screening.

* Using the e-Gate card helps avoid queuing at passport control, both while arriving and on departure. An eGate Card can be obtained from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner Affairs (immigration) for a fee. GDRFA have eGate offices in the departure areas of all terminals.

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