Dubai International Airport saw a busy year, servicing more than 78 million passengers in 2015. This represents a 10.7 percent increase from the previous year, as passengers took advantage of the approximately 100 airlines that travel to more than 240 international destinations from Dubai. December 2015 in particular experienced a record increase, up 8.5 percent from December 2014, and servicing an all-time high, 6.5 million passengers in a single month. The year also brought some new members to the lineup of carriers traveling to and from Dubai International. Air Canada, Eurowings and China Southern Airlines began service to the airport from Toronto (YYZ), Cologne (CGN) and Wuhan (WUH), respectively. In addition, 12 new destinations previously unavailable were added due to network expansions on behalf of flydubai and Emirates. India remained the most popular destination, followed by the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The regional market with the most growth was North America, partially in thanks to Emirates’ network expansions. “It’s another banner year for Dubai International where we broke records, engaged and entertained our customers in new ways and retained our position as the world’s number one international hub,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports. “But we have no time to rest on our laurels, as we are already busy testing the readiness [of] our newest facility, the $1.2 billion Concourse D, which when it opens for our 70-plus airlines this quarter, will play a crucial role in helping us welcome millions of passengers in comfort and style.” Concourse D was tested in early February, with members of the public coming in to act as passengers so airport officials could gauge the readiness of the facility, as well as for staff to anticipate real-life scenarios. The trial tested efficiency of arrivals, departures, traffic flow, signage, customs, security, immigration and concessions. Concourse D features an array of dining options, including the first Pret a Manger within a Middle Eastern airport and the first Camden Food Co. in the Middle East. In addition, the concourse offers SnoozeCubes and nine lounges, five of which are airline lounges. As expected, Dubai International Airport’s heavy traffic and timely updates are not going unnoticed. Last year also brought an influx of awards for the airport, with the number of trophies added to its collection climbing into the teens.