Dubai airport’s passenger growth to hit 200 million

Traveller numbers revised up as part of new economic vision

Dubai — The Dubai International Airports, with planned $7.8 billion investment that will lead to an ultimate capacity of 100 million passengers a year, has revised growth projections from 103 million to 126 million passengers by 2020, and 200 million by 2030.

Such an unwavering vision has been adopted to build not just an airport but an engine of economic growth and vital to the growth of the city, according to a top official.

“Our revised projections for 2020 — was 103 million — now exceed 126 million passengers. By 2030, we expect to have around 200 million passengers traffic, without further infrastructure development or space to build,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

Further in his presentation ‘Building the Future’, at the 4th session ‘Future of Airports’ of the two-day Future of Border International Conference, he said they were all set to come up with other solutions to satisfy Dubai’s continued thirst for growth. “In Dubai, we are building, not talking about building.”

The conference, organised by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai under the sponsorship of Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, concluded on Thursday.

Griffiths said the Dubai International is currently the world’s number one airport for international passengers and the sixth busiest. “Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central (DWC), which presently has five to seven million passengers capacity, saw 845,046 passengers passing through its gates in its first full year of operations in 2014.”

DWC will have a passenger capacity of 220 million on completion of its second phase, he elaborated. “The first phase of $32 billion expansion of DWC will enable the facility to accommodate 120 million passengers on completion over the next six to eight years.”

Griffiths said Al Maktoum International, situated on a 140sqkm site to the south of Dubai, will be 10 times larger than the site of Dubai International, making it the world’s largest airport and the world’s largest intercontinental hub.

“The $7.8 billion investment will lead to ultimate capacity of 100 million passengers at the Dubai International. Last year, it recorded 70.4 million passengers, an increase of 6.1 per cent and this year expected to handle 79 million passengers.”

In 2013, aviation contributed $26.7 billion to the economy of Dubai or 27 per cent of the emirate’s GDP. About 416,500 people rely on aviation activities for the livelihood which works out to 27 per cent of the total workforce in Dubai, he pointed out. “By 2030, the aviation’s contribution to the Dubai economy will have increased to $88 billion, more than three times the 2013 figure.”

Giving details of Dubai airport operations, Griffiths said 192,000 people come through the airport every day on 980 flights while Concourse A, delivered in 2013, boosted the airport’s capacity to 75 million, but the passenger traffic is again approaching the capacity limit.

“The final piece of hitherto undeveloped infrastructure space within the airport is nearing completion, and this year, we will open Concourse D, home to the airport’s overseas airline partners, with 17 additional gates that can to handle 15 million passengers and will be linked to Terminal 1 via Automated People Mover (APM).”

Parallel developments of additional remote stands and airspace efficiency will lead to an ultimate capacity of 100 million taking into account the increased passenger/flight ratio driven by Emirates’ expanding fleet of A380s.”

— ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com