Dubai World Central's new Al Maktoum airport has been given clearance for a Dhs120 billion ($32 billion) expansion which will initially include two satellite buildings able to handle 100 Airbus A380s.
The rule of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has endorsed the expansion of the airport, located in the Jebel Ali district, following a review of several architectural designs.
His official office says he "expressed admiration" over a particular "simple" design known as "the light box", and directed the "immediate implementation of the design in the airport".
Emirates Group chief Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum adds that the airport will have five parallel runways, each 4,500m long and 800m apart, allowing four simultaneous landings.
It will feature two main terminals and four 2,800m concourses and 400 apron positions. The airport will be built in two phases, the first to be completed in six to eight years. This will provide capacity for 130 million passengers, with the figure for the final development eventually reaching 220 million passengers.
Dubai Airports, the operator, says this expansion of Al Maktoum will "pave the way" for Emirates to relocate its intercontinental service to the new airport by the mid-2020s.
“Our future lies at Dubai World Central," says Dubai Airports chief Paul Griffiths, noting the "limited options" for growth at the current Dubai International hub.
"We are taking that next step to securing our future by building a brand new airport, that will not only create the capacity we will need in the coming decades but also provide state-of-the-art facilities that revolutionise the airport experience on an unprecedented scale."
Source: Cirium Dashboard
