Dubai airports cargo volume jumps 18 pct in 2014

Freight volumes handled by Dubai's two big international airports jumped 18.1 percent in 2014 as the emirate strengthened its position as a regional hub for trade, data provided by the airports' operator showed on Tuesday.

Combined cargo volumes at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International rose to 3.13 million tons last year from 2.65 million tons in 2013, according to figures from Dubai Airports.

Volume at Dubai International dropped 3.1 percent to 2.37 million tons as dedicated freighter operations were shifted to Al Maktoum International, where volume surged 262.5 percent to 758,371 tons.

Dubai Airports has been shifting cargo and some passenger traffic to Al Maktoum International from Dubai International, because of capacity constraints at Dubai International and to allow for the growth of flagship airline Emirates.

Data released last month showed Dubai International replaced London's Heathrow last year as the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic.