Dubai
Dubai charts course for airport expansion
ALREADY HOME TO THE WORLD ’ S BUSIEST AIRPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER TRAFFIC , THE APPROVED EXPANSION OF DUBAI ’ S SECOND HUB WILL ENSURE THE CITY CONTINUES TO REMAIN AT THE FOREFRONT OF CONNECTIVITY
M eeting planners have long valued Dubai as a destination for business events thanks to the city ’ s easy accessibility , with one-third of the world ’ s population within a four-hour flight , and two-thirds within eight hours .
That connectivity is now set to be boosted by ambitious plans for the expansion of Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport ( DWC ), with a roadmap in place for the hub to eventually take over all operations from Dubai International Airport ( DXB ).
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , vice-president and
Left : At the end of 2023 DXB was connected to 262 destinations across 104 countries prime minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai , recently reviewed designs for what will become the world ’ s largest airport , giving the go ahead for a construction project that will cost AED128bn ( US $ 34.9bn ).
All of DXB ’ s operations will move to DWC within 10 years , and as the primary hub , DXC will eventually have capacity for up to 260 million passengers a year . The airport will accommodate 400 aircraft gates and feature five parallel runways
Paul Griffiths , CEO of Dubai Airports , said : “ The growth of Dubai has always been hand in hand with the growth of its aviation infrastructure and now we see another bold step on that journey . The announcement of phase two of Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport ’ s ( DWC ) expansion , representing a substantial investment of AED128bn , marks the start of a huge investment of resources by our many stakeholders in designing and building a state-of-theart airport that will provide a quick , convenient , and high quality 21st century experience for our customers . This further solidifies Dubai ’ s position as a leading aviation hub on the world stage .”
For now , DXB will continues to serve as the city ’ s primary hub , having recently retained its title as the world ’ s busiest international airport for the 10th year running , according to Airports Council International ( ACI ).
Welcoming 87 million passengers in 2023 , it will be able to meet the needs of over 100 million passengers over the coming years as DWC continues to take shape .
At the end of 2023 , DXB was connected to 262 destinations across 104 countries through 102 international carriers . Homegrown airline Emirates spearheads the city ’ s connectivity with the rest of the world through DXB , while low-cost carrier flydubai is also based at the airport . n
16 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 132