Passenger numbers at Dubai International airport reached 5,310,361 in July, an increase of just over 6 per cent compared to the same month last year.

Year-to-date passenger traffic is up 15.3 per cent compared to last year, with 37,972,464 travellers recorded passing through the airport.

The continued growth in passenger numbers sees Dubai International edge closer to being the world’s busiest airport.

In March this year, Dubai overtook Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport as the second busiest airport in the world in March.

London’s Heathrow maintains its position as the busiest airport, with a total of 6.9 million passengers recorded in July, an increase of 5.5 per cent on the same month last year.

Dubai International’s July traffic has been driven by Eastern European markets, with the emirate’s low-cost carrier Flydubai increasing the number of destinations it offers in the region.

The tie-up between Australia’s Qantas and Dubai’s flagship airline Emirates has also driven increased traffic from Australasia via Dubai and on to Europe.

The Indian market has also grown due to the expansion of a number of Indian airlines such as Air India Express, Indigo and Spice Jet.