With its ambitious goals, Dubai hopes to make Al Maktoum International Airport the largest airport in the world.
When the Dhs128 billion project is finished, it will be five times larger than the current Dubai International Airport.
Only a small portion of the 260 million passengers that Dubai South, also known as Dubai World Central, is expected to handle use the airport as it currently stands.
However, what is the project’s past? When will it likely be finished? How will the city alter as a result?
What is the history of Al Maktoum International Airport?
In contrast to the ambitious aspirations outlined for its future, Al Maktoum International Airport had rather modest beginnings when it initially opened its doors in 2010.
When it opened to passengers in 2013, phase one of the facility featured just one runway and was used exclusively for freight flights.
With the goal of eventually creating a fully integrated “aerotropolis” in Jebel Ali, Dubai South, construction on the airport started in 2005.
Within the emirate, this new city will be built solely around the airport. The 140 square kilometre project will revolve around the airport. The Dubai Logistics City, Commercial City, Residential City, Aviation City, and Golf City are among the six clustered zones that will be present.
Jebel Ali International Airport, Jebel Ali Airport City, and Dubai World Central International Airport are just a few of the working names for the airport.
The city has previously stated that Al Maktoum will eventually top all airports in the globe, with estimates from 2013 indicating that this would happen in less than ten years, as of Sunday, April 28, 2024.
However, it seems that the discussion is now ended and that work is finally getting started, based on the most recent announcement.
What can we expect once Al Maktoum International Airport is complete?
Al Maktoum International Airport, when it is finished, will be five times larger than Dubai International Airport, which is currently the busiest airport in the world for international travel.
When finished, it will have the capacity to carry up to 260 million people, which dwarfs the 86 million passengers who passed through DXB in 2023.
There will be five parallel runways with the greatest operating criteria, over 400 aeroplane gates, and five passenger terminal buildings in total. When finished, the airport will cover an area of 70 square kilometres.
In the upcoming years, Al Maktoum International Airport will eventually host all of the operations currently conducted at Dubai International Airport.
When can we expect the Al Maktoum International Airport project to be completed?
According to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai World, CEO and founder of the Emirates Group, and head of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, the project’s first phase will be completed in ten years and able to handle 150 million people annually.
The CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths, stated during a speech at the Dubai Airshow last year that the project would not be finished until “way into the 2050s.”
Additionally, he stated that since Dubai International Airport is already operating at maximum capacity, a new airport will be required after DXB handles roughly 120 million passengers annually.
How will Al Maktoum International Airport change Dubai?
As part of the plans, an entirely novel city within a city will be constructed in Dubai South. In Dubai, the aerotropolis has been planned and operating since 2007.
Dubai will get a tonne of fresh hires as a result of housing the top logistics and aviation industries in the world.
According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the emir of Dubai and the UAE’s vice president and prime minister, housing will be required for at least a million people.
