Dubai International airport set a new world record for busiest month with 8.37 million passengers using the transport hub August.

The figure surpasses Dubai’s previous record set in August last year – when 8.23 million used DXB – and marks the second consecutive month that it has passed the eight million mark.

The figure also puts Dubai further ahead of its nearest rival for international traffic. DXB’s average monthly traffic this year is 7.5 million, which is 1.2 million more than its closest rival London Heathrow (6.29 million).

Despite the increased volumes, queue times dropped 44% in August compared to the same month last year, with greater use of DXB’s Smart Gate technology helping to speed customers through immigration.

A total of 7.2 million bags – up 5.9% - passed through the airport’s intricate 175 km long baggage system during the month.

Top destinations

India remained DXB’s top destination country by customer volumes, with total traffic reaching 1,012,124 during the month. Saudi Arabia was second with 613,618 customers, followed by the U.K. with 603,531. Other markets of note include U.S. (306,701 customers) and China (215,211).

The top three cities were London (371,574 customers), Kuwait (272,607) and Mumbai (210,820).

Russia boost

The return of Russia travellers boosted the traffic from Eastern Europe, which was up by 25.7%; the CIS was up 14.8% and Africa grew 11.2%.

“It’s another milestone for Dubai Airports as we continue to break records and set the bar even higher,” said Dubai Airports’ CEO Paul Griffiths.

“While the numbers speak volumes about our growth, our aim is to continue pushing the boundaries on experience and provide customers with the best possible service.

"We are making progress on that front as well with shorter queue times, world-leading F&B and retail and other touches like spas, swimming pools and trampolines that help us stand out from the crowd.”