Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest international airport since 1960, is set to close permanently in 2035. All flight operations, including those of Emirates and flydubai, will slowly start using Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). DWC is getting a huge $38 billion makeover to become the world’s biggest hub, with a capacity to handle 260 million passengers a year. Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said that running two close-proximity mega-hubs doesn’t make economic sense. He said this is especially true since DXB’s infrastructure will be near the end of its operational lifespan and can’t be expanded further due to surrounding highways and residential areas. The transition will start around 2032, and DWC will have five parallel runways, 400 boarding gates, and a connection to the high-speed Etihad Rail network.
Dubai International Airport (DXB), which has been around since 1960 and is considered the world’s busiest international airport, is set to close permanently in 2035, according to Express.
All operations at the largest aviation hub will gradually be transferred to the new Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which is currently undergoing a massive modernization project costing about $38 billion. When the project is finished, DWC is going to be the world’s largest aviation hub, according to the report.
The move is going to affect all flights and services that are currently operated by DXB, including those run by Emirates and flydubai.
When it’s finished, the airport in the Dubai World Central area will be able to handle up to 260 million passengers a year, which will set a world record.
This move is part of the UAE’s ambitious strategy to dominate the global aviation and logistics sectors.
The Al Maktoum International Airport upgrade project includes building five parallel runways and up to 400 aircraft gates.
According to Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP)—the company working on developing the emirate’s aviation infrastructure—the new airport will usher in “a new era of smart airport systems and passenger-centric services,” ensuring the most comfortable travel experiences worldwide.
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said that having two huge airports right next to each other just doesn’t make financial sense. He said:
“We’ll be moving all services over to DWC. By that time, virtually all of DXB’s infrastructure will be nearing the end of its operational life, so keeping the airport open will be economically unviable without massive investments.”
Another reason for closing DXB is its location—the airport is basically stuck between major highways and residential areas, so it’s pretty much impossible to expand further.
They’re planning to move most of their operations to DWC around 2032, but the project won’t be fully finished until 2057.
On top of that, the new airport is going to be connected to the future Etihad Rail high-speed railway. This’ll cut the travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi down to about 30 minutes.