Dubai Airports has projected rapid growth in its international passenger numbers and cargo traffic over the next 10 years outperforming industry projections for average annual growth of 5% globally.

In its ten year traffic forecast for Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International (DWC), Dubai Airports said by 2020 the passenger numbers will reach 98.5 million and cargo volumes will top 4.1 million tonnes.

Pace-setting growth has been the norm at Dubai International, which is forecast to become busiest airport by 2015.

Dubai Airports said the passenger and cargo traffic is projected to grow an average 7.2% and 6.7% per annum respectively by 2020.

Over the past 50 years, passenger traffic has increased at an average annual rate of 15.5%, said the report.

More recently during the economic downturn in 2009, while other airports saw traffic decline, Dubai Airports saw international passenger numbers increase 9.1% demonstrating the resilience of Dubai’s aviation sector in challenging market conditions.

Since 2005 traffic has almost doubled from 24.8 million to 47.2 million last year, it added.

Dubai’s two largest airlines, Emirates and flydubai, have already placed significant aircraft orders to meet the expected demand.  

Similarly, bolstered by expanded trade and commerce, airfreight volumes will almost double from the 2.27 million tonnes recorded in 2010 to 4.1 million tonnes in 2020 based on a 6.7% annual growth rate.

Dubai International is ranked 4th globally in terms of international freight volumes and 4th for international passengers according to Airport Council International’s (ACI) 2010 figures. That ranking is set to change dramatically over the next several years.

“Based on the current pace of growth we are seeing in other large international airports, Dubai International should become the busiest airport in the world for international passenger traffic as early as 2015 when passenger numbers are projected to exceed 75 million,” said Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO.

To help accommodate the growth, Concourse 3, which will be the world’s first dedicated A380 facility, is set to open at the end of 2012. Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International, which opened for cargo operations in 2010, will commence passenger services during 2012.