Dubai International Airport reported long queues during the weekend, and a large number of travellers came back to the UAE after the long break of Eid Al Fitr.
A video showed several people waiting in queues for taxis during the early hours of Sunday, May 8.
Many barriers were set up at the entrance points of a terminal to guide hundreds of people through the exits as soon as possible.
Officials of the Dubai International Airport have estimated that Saturday, May 7 would be the busiest day. Schools, government departments and some private sector businesses will reopen on Monday.
A marketing executive in Dubai, Sneha Singh, who was coming back from a trip to Croatia and reached at Terminal 3 on Sunday, around 1 am, said, “I have been a Dubai resident for six years now and have travelled in every Eid break, but I have never seen the line for taxis quite as long as that. Like me, many other returning tourists couldn’t believe the scenes that welcomed us in the arrivals hall.”
She further stated, “I must say, though, the airport officials handled the public and the situation very well.”
Last week, Dubai Airports stated that it was expecting one of its most busiest travel periods during the Eid break and requested tourists to plan their vacation according to the situation.
It further said that over 1.9 million passengers were expected to fly in or out of Dubai International Airport between the period of April 28 and May 9, with the busiest day expected to be on May 7, when over 200,000 individuals were expected to arrive at the airport.
On the other hand, the northern runway at Dubai International Airport will be closing on May 9 for 45 days for renovation projects.
During this time, many flights that usually fly into the airport will rather operate from Dubai World Central, including those operated by Flydubai, Spice Jet, Indigo, Gulf Air and others.