Operator of the state airport Dubai The “flood” of passengers is expected as the corona virus infection subsides, reopening its terminal. Passenger traffic via Dubai International Airport is expected to increase by 8% Demand is at 28 million this year as it is restructured.

The Terminal 1 It reopens this Thursday 15 month closure. Activities were integrated through terminals 2 and 3 last year due to infection. “I think people will come back. I don’t believe it. I think there will be a complete flood of demands when people are hoping to travel again.” Dubai Airport General Manager Paul Griffiths told Reuters on Sunday.

The world’s busiest airport is expected to handle more than 40 million passengers this year “Really, very lucky”, Griffiths said it would be between $ 24.7 million and $ 34.3 million. “We have about 28 (million) comfortable in this midrange.”

The Terminal 1 It has a capacity of 18 million passengers per year, while the entire airport can stay 100 million. Griffiths estimates that the reopening of the terminal will create 3,500 additional jobs at the airport, including retail, hospitality, security and immigration. By fall, 90% 260 seats Griffiths, who worked from Dubai airport before recovering from the infection, was 63% today.

Dubai announced on Saturday that some restrictions on travelers from India, South Africa and Nigeria would be reduced from Wednesday.

The airport handled 5.75 million passengers in the first quarter, a decline 67.8% Compared to the same quarter in 2020 before the epidemic disrupted traffic. In 2020, passenger traffic was down 70% from 25.9 million to 86.4 million in 2019.

The airport is home to Emirates and Flightboy Airlines, all of which operate international flights. Over the two-week period starting Thursday, 66 foreign airlines will move from Terminals 2 and 3 to Terminal 1. Terminal 3, where Emirates operates, currently operates in two of its three halls. Dubai’s second airport, Al Maktoum International, Commercial passenger flights will also be closed.