His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be the largest in the world when fully operational. Set to be built at a cost of AED128 billion ($35 billion), the new terminal will ultimately enable the airport to handle a passenger capacity of 260 million annually.
The approval came during Sheikh Mohammed’s visit to the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
Al Maktoum airport: A hub for the future
“Al Maktoum International Airport will enjoy the world’s largest capacity, reaching up to 260 million passengers. It will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, 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. New aviation technologies will be employed for the first time in the aviation sector,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
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“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,” Sheikh Mohammed added. “We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn. Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub, and its new global centre.”
Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed the master plan for the airport of the future. Upon full development, the hub will emerge as the world’s largest airport, covering an expansive area of 70 square kilometres. The airport will be able to handle 12 million tonnes of cargo per annum.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “The new airport…will prepare the ground for the next 40 years of anticipated growth in Dubai’s aviation sector. It will respond to the ambitious plans in terms of fleet acquisition and passenger growth. The airport will provide cutting-edge technologies, passenger facilities with unmatched level of service, and state-of-the-art aviation support facilities.”
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