Dubai International Airport (DXB), the busiest international airport in the world (2024 data), will cease operations by 2035. All flights will be transferred to the under construction airport Al Maktoum (DWC). The reason is that the DXB is squeezed by dense urban development and cannot expand, while the DWC is located 45 km from the center, where there is room for development.
The DWC project is estimated at $35 billion. The new hub will be able to serve up to 260 million passengers per year - 5 times more than the DXB. There will be five runways and eight terminals. The first stage will be launched in 2032, by which time the airport will be able to receive 150 million passengers annually.
DWC will introduce contactless check-in, facial biometrics, and automated baggage. The airport will be connected to the Etihad Rail high-speed railway and a new metro line, the journey time to the center will be 15-20 minutes.The airlines are already preparing for the move. Flydubai will be the first to launch flights from DWC, and Emirates will invest $10 billion in the infrastructure of the new hub. DXB will continue to operate for about another ten years for a smooth transition.
After the closure, the territory of the DXB in the city center will be redeveloped into elite residential and commercial buildings, where up to a million people can live.
Learn more about the impact of the new Al Maktoum Airport on the housing market told in the article.
Source: Gulf News
