Dubai International Airport continued to buck global trends by registering double digit year-on-year rises for both passenger and freight traffic during October.

Passenger traffic rose 11.7 percent in October, the fifth consecutive month of double digit growth as the airport saw a total of 3,496,366 passengers, compared to 3,130,333 passengers during the same month last year.

For the year to date, passengers number 33,565,105 passengers - up 8.3 percent over the first 10 months in 2008.

After nine months of modest cargo growth, Dubai International registered a 17.7 percent increase during October due largely to traffic generated by meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions that took place in Dubai last month.

Dubai Airports Cargo handled 185,867 tonnes of freight in October compared to 157,968 tonnes during the same month last year.

The last double-digit increase was recorded in September 2008 and year to date cargo volumes are now up 2.2 percent compared to 2008.

In comments published by news agency WAM, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Airports said: "The ongoing growth in Dubai's aviation sector has a bearing on our trade and tourism while it draws strength from Dubai's standing as the region's hub for the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) industry."

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, added: "Our performance as one of the world's fastest growing airports is proof that it pays to invest in infrastructure and build capacity to support and stimulate economic activity."

Dubai Airports' traffic forecast for 2010 predicts a 13.6 percent growth in international passengers with total numbers set to top 46 million.

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