Al-Maktoum airport readies for passengers

08 October 2013

With passenger operations set to begin at Al-Maktoum International airport, Dubai’s ambitions to become the world’s leading air transit hub take a step closer to fruition

Final preparations ahead of the first passenger flight to Al-Maktoum International airport at Dubai World Central (DWC) on 27 October are under way.

At least 1,000 volunteers are being invited to test out the terminal, conducting walk-throughs to departures and arrivals, to ensure the opening will be as smooth as possible.

With the General Civil Aviation Authority granting the airport a licence for passenger operations in mid-September, the airport is on target for a successful opening that will put it on a path to becoming a transport super-hub for the Middle East.

The new airport is situated close to Jebel Ali port and is a central cog in the wider DWC area, which features a logistics zone and several aviation-related industries.

Long-term vision

Until now, Al-Maktoum International has only handled cargo operations, which began in 2010, and some private business aviation. The new passenger terminal is one of four planned and is designed to have a capacity of 5 million passengers a year, expandable to 7 million.

Although this figure is dwarfed by the existing Dubai International airport’s capacity of 75 million, the long-term vision is that Al-Maktoum will be able to handle 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo a year by the early 2020s. This will be possible once five planned runways and three more terminals are built.

“DWC is a long-term, 50-year-plus vision for Dubai’s and the UAE’s wider aviation growth, as the country expands its capability to cater for more and more passengers,” says Saj Ahmad, chief strategist at UK-based StrategicAero Research.

Two airlines have been confirmed to begin operations from the new terminal. Hungary’s low-cost airline WizzAir will begin flights from 27 October, between Dubai and Eastern European destinations including Budapest and Sofia. Kuwait’s privately owned Jazeera Airways will launch three weekly flights between Kuwait and the new airport from 31 October, while maintaining its existing flights to Dubai International.

Earlier this year, low-cost Saudi carrier Nasair also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with operator Dubai Airports to schedule flights from Al-Maktoum International. However, as yet no operational start date has been given. The airline is said to be considering its options.

More carriers are expected to announce routes to Al-Maktoum soon. A spokesperson from Dubai Airports has confirmed it is in “active discussions with several other airlines”.

Once the airport opens to passenger flights, Dubai will have two commercial aviation hubs, in keeping with other international transport centres such as London. In the short-term, however, most of Dubai’s aviation traffic will continue to be handled by Dubai International. 

There are no concrete plans for when Dubai’s state-owned carrier Emirates and low-cost airline Flydubai will transfer their operations to the new airport, but it is unlikely to happen until Al-Maktoum has capacity of approximately 80 million passengers.

Both airlines are expected to get a taster of Al-Maktoum’s facilities next year, when they will temporarily transfer some operations to the airport while renovation works at Dubai International’s northern runway are carried out. In the long-term, there is a chance Al-Maktoum could become Dubai’s main, if not only, aviation hub.

Airport expansions

In the meantime, expansion works will continue to be carried out at both Dubai International and Al-Maktoum International.

Dubai International is aiming to increase its capacity to 90 million passengers a year. At the beginning of 2013, it opened concourse A, increasing the airport’s capacity by 15 million passengers. Terminal 2 is also being expanded to add a further 10 million passenger capacity and is due to open in early 2014.

Concourse D is currently being constructed by local firm Alec and is due to be completed by 2015. It will add an extra 340,000 square metres of space. In late August, consultants were invited to prequalify for further work covering phase three of Dubai International’s expansion and phase two of Al-Maktoum’s expansion. The work will include construction of airport lounges, terminals, runways and concourses.

In August, Dubai International handled close to 6 million passengers, an increase of 24 per cent on the same month in 2012. Passenger traffic is expected hit 66 million this year, with the new partnership between Australia’s Qantas and Emirates accelerating demand, as passengers travel through Dubai to and from Australasia, Asia and Europe. The addition of Al-Maktoum International will further cement the emirate’s position as a leading centre for aviation.

In numbers

160 million: Planned passenger capacity at Al-Maktoum International by the early 2020s

66 million: Expected passenger traffic at Dubai International in 2013

Source: MEED

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