Cargo volumes up at Dubai World Central

Dubai's status as a global trading hub continued to grow in the first quarter of 2013, as cargo volumes increased significantly.New figures released by Dubai Airports highlighted a 7.8 per cent upturn in air freight deliveries at Dubai World Central when compared to the first three months of 2012.The facility - which is the city's second airport - handled 53,974 tonnes of goods during the quarter, as traders from all over the world transported cargo to the Middle East.Air traffic movements at the airport rose by 16.8 per cent year-on-year, which underlines just how much the airport has grown in its short lifetime.It first opened in 2010 and is now served by 36 airlines. Last year, the airport handled 219,092 tonnes of air freight and this figure is widely forecast to be surpassed in 2013.Dubai World Central is also expected to accommodate passengers for the first time in October 2013 and this will take some of the strain off Dubai International Airport.The latter is the second busiest aviation hub on the planet, with 66 million people expected to pass through the complex this year - up from 57.6 million in 2012.Wizz Air and nasair are both lining up new services from Dubai World Central, making it easier for travellers to fly into the UAE from Europe and Saudi Arabia.Chief executive officer at Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths insisted that maintaining high levels of cargo growth is far from easy in the current climate, even for Dubai."The next step in the evolution of the airport will see continued cargo traffic growth, the commencement of passenger operations slated for October 27th with launch carriers Wizz Air and nasair, and the hosting of its first ever Dubai Airshow from November 17th," he remarked."All will play a role in building our new airport's growing brand reputation."If current trends persist, aviation experts predict Dubai Airports' total cargo volumes to reach three million tonnes a year by 2015.