Dubai has lost its crown as the world’s busiest international airport, according to new data from air travel intelligence company OAG.
European summer holidays have helped nudge Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport into the number one slot in the list of the world’s top 10 international airports for August.
The airport in the Netherlands recorded a 2,511,321-seat capacity. Dubai International Airport, which previously ranked first, slipped down to second position with 2,312,381 seats listed in and out of DXB in August. OAG creates the monthly airport rankings using international airline capacity data.
Overall, European destinations dominated the rankings in August with eight of the world’s busiest international airports located in Germany, France, Spain, Turkey and the UK.
The top 10 busiest international airports in the world
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Dubai, UAE
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Paris CDG, France
- Istanbul Ataturk, Turkey
- Doha, Qatar
- London Heathrow, UK
- Madrid, Spain
- Palma, Spain
- Antalya, Turkey
Turkey’s Antalya had the biggest jump in numbers when compared to pre-pandemic data. The airport on Turkey’s southern coast ranked 10th in the most recent list, compared to ranking 30th in August 2019.
Its location on the Mediterranean has helped attract holidaymakers over the summer as restrictions in Europe ease, and the airport also had large capacity from both Russia and Germany.
Mallorca’s Palma also had a boost in numbers, climbing to the ninth busiest airport in the world from being the 25th busiest back in August 2019.
Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, has welcomed a steady number of visitors since travel restrictions across Europe eased and its early inclusion on the UK’s quarantine-free green list helped boost summer traffic, although the destination has since been moved to amber by UK authorities.
When it comes to the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta in the US keeps its ranking as number one based on total scheduled frequency – which counts both domestic and international seat capacity.
World’s busiest airline routes: transatlantic flights return
OAG also revealed the busiest international flight routes in August, and Russia dominates the list.
Flights originating from or terminating in Russia top the ranking with Turkey’s Antalya also proving popular with Russian travellers, nudging the route to third despite a drop in tourist numbers owing to widespread wildfires.
In the Middle East, Egypt features strongly in the rankings with flights from Cairo to Dubai, and to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and Riyadh, listed in eighth, fourth and ninth place, respectively.
And the long-running New York to London transatlantic route has also made a comeback, featuring in the most profitable airline routes list for the first time since the pandemic.
Previously called the world's only billion-dollar air route by OAG, the flight path ranks at number 10 in the busiest airline routes in August.
It’s currently being operated at around 40 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity with 138,000 seats. More travellers have been flying the route since the UK announced it would accept vaccine certificates issued in the US, but some restrictions remain in place for travellers flying to New York from the UK.
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
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Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
