Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced on social media that the airport operator has approved the designs for the new passenger terminals at Al Maktoum International Airport. Construction will cost AED128bn (£27.8bn).
Once complete, DWC will be able to handle up to 260 million passengers a year, giving it the largest capacity of any airport in the world. It will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport (DXB), and all operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to it in the coming years. The airport will accommodate 400 aircraft gates and feature five parallel runways.
According to the sheikh, new aviation technologies will be employed for the first time in the aviation sector.
He said: “As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow. It will host the world's leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors. We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn.”
His sentiments were echoed by Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. Griffiths said: “The growth of Dubai has always been hand in hand with the growth of its aviation infrastructure. The announcement of phase two of the DWC expansion marks the start of a huge investment of resources by our many stakeholders in designing and building a state-of-the-art airport that will provide a quick, convenient, and high quality 21st century experience for our customers.
“DXB will continue to serve as the primary hub, meeting the needs of 100 million plus guests over the next few years as phase two of DWC takes shape.
We will be actively collaborating with our airline customers, our strategic partners, the Dubai Government, and our stakeholders to bring this visionary project to fruition.”
