Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Dubai to replace DXB with bigger one in 2030s
Dubai Airports is embarking on a major plan to replace the world's busiest airport, Dubai International (DXB) with an even bigger in 2030s as passenger traffic soars to hit record high, outstripping even the pre-pandemic levels, said a top official.
Dubai Airports is forging ahead with its plans to replace the world's busiest airport, Dubai International (DXB), with an even bigger one in 2030s as passenger traffic soars to record high, outstripping the pre-pandemic levels, said a top official.
Designs were being drawn up for Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be built on the city's outskirts and should replace Dubai International in the 2030s, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told Agence France Presse news agency, on the sidelines of the ongoing Dubai Airshow.
"Once we've reached about 120 million (passengers a year) - which is what we think our total capacity at DXB (Dubai International) is at the absolute maximum with everything optimised - we are going to need a new airport. That is going to have to happen at some stage during the 2030s," stated Griffiths.
This comes as the Dubai Airports projected DXB's annual passenger traffic to reach 86.8 million, surpassing 2019 numbers as record-breaking figures were expected to continue in the final quarter of 2023.
Currently, the DXB can manage 100 million passengers every year — but innovative technologies, refurbishments, and more efficient use of space and resources could expand its capacity to 120 million.
Griffiths revealed that they would be working on the mega-airport's design elements over the next few months, reported AFP.
"It stands to reason that Al Maktoum International has to be even bigger and even better (than Dubai International)… This will be a project that extends way into the 2050s because we take the long-term view here," he added.