O/D Analysis - DXB Dubai Airport (Covid-19 quarantine)

Question

How was the volume of trips at Dubai International Airport (DXB) affected by the Covid-19 quarantine measures?

How-to explanation

In highly attractive areas, such as DXB Airport, the origin of trips is less relevant compared to the destination. With the Covid-19 crisis directly impacting the tourism industry, the volume of trips to airports worldwide decreased significantly.

Therefore, our focus region will be a single polygon: DXB International Airport. To analyze the progression of quarantine measures, we will conduct a monthly comparison between January and April 2020 (Figure 1).

O/D Analysis setup screen showing DXB Airport polygon outlined on map with date range selectors for January to April 2020 — Figure 1: Zone and date range definition

Reading the results

In OD reports with a single polygon, the most insightful visualization is the "Flows Explorer," where "External" trips can be defined as "origins" (i.e., all trips that started outside the "DXB Airport" region). By setting "DXB Airport" as the destination, we can gain a clear view of the trip distribution throughout the day (Figure 2).

Map Flows visualization showing high volume of trip flows toward DXB Airport in January 2020 represented by a bar chart — Figure 2: Trip volume in January 2020

Progress can be evaluated by comparing data from the following months (Figures 3 to 5).

Map Flows visualization showing decreased trip volume toward DXB Airport in February 2020 represented by a bar chart — Figure 3: Trip volume in February 2020

Map Flows visualization showing significantly reduced trip volume toward DXB Airport in March 2020 during COVID-19 lockdown represented by a bar chart — Figure 4: Trip volume in March 2020

Map Flows visualization showing minimal trip volume toward DXB Airport in April 2020 at peak of travel restrictions represented by a bar chart — Figure 5: Trip volume in April 2020

Conclusion

Since the beginning of the quarantine measures in Dubai, UAE, the volume of trips to Dubai International Airport decreased significantly. Using TomTom O/D Analysis data, we were able to observe how this decrease progressed month after month, culminating in an 88% reduction in trips when comparing April to January of this year. To make the analysis even more comprehensive, we could extend it to include data for May and June to understand whether the volume of trips is recovering to pre-coronavirus levels.

The TomTom O/D Analysis offers a rich, comprehensive solution with an excellent cost-to-value ratio. In just minutes, the GPS-based trip analytics provide in-depth insights across wide areas and flexible time periods. This approach is far more efficient and yields higher-quality results compared to manual questionnaires or hardware-based data collection methods (e.g., sensor cameras with limited area coverage).