Dubai International Airport overtook Hong Kong last month in terms of passenger numbers for the first time, according to the latest report by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, or Capa.
Dubai handled 3.36 million passengers in June 2009, about 55,000 more than Hong Kong.
Dubai's passenger traffic has gone up by five per cent over the past six months and the airport recorded a notable 10.3 per cent increase in June 2009, recording a year-on-year double-digit growth on the back of strong demand during the peak summer period.
The Capa report said: "Dubai International, home of the aggressive, fast-growing Emirates, continues its relentless climb up the ranking of the world's busiest international airports. Last year it was Singapore. Earlier this year it was Bangkok. Now it is Hong Kong's turn.
"While the Asia-Pacific airports continue to shrink, as home carriers scale back capacity to deal with plummeting passenger numbers, Dubai continues to go from strength to strength, with just one month of falling passenger traffic this year and double-digit growth in June 2009," said Capa.
It said the Middle East aviation market (and the new generation sixth freedom models employed by the region's major airlines) has proved resilient to the downturn.
Meanwhile, the Airports Council International (ACI) said Dubai International Airport was rated the sixth-largest airport in 2008 in the world in terms of passenger number and has been consistently featured as one of the 20 fastest-growing international airports over the past five years.
"If Dubai's trajectory continues, it could climb ahead of Frankfurt and Amsterdam and become the largest international airport outside Europe," said the report.
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