Emirates airline will be relocating to Al Maktoum International Airport in one go by 2034, said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group.
“We will relocate to Al Maktoum Airport by 2034 as part of the D33 programme. The relocation (from Dubai International to Al Maktoum Airport) will be in one go. You will wake up one day and the terminal is open and tested and you will see flights from Al Maktoum Airport,” Sheikh Ahmed said during a media briefing on Tuesday.
He said there is “no split of operations” but they will be “from one airport” during this transition period.
He said that this new airport is the need of the hour to meet the growth of local airlines and aviation sectors.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“I am more confident than a few years back (about the new airport’s success). I’ve seen it all and experienced it. Dubai always exceeded the targets in every sector. We are confident that without this airport, Dubai will be going backwards (as Emirates and Dubai are growing). All the aircraft that will come into the fleet, we need gates and parking for them and with the existing facility, it will be a challenge,” he said.
Last week, the Dubai government announced that all operations at Dubai International (DXB) will be transferred to Al Maktoum International (DWC) over the next few years. A new Dh128 billion passenger terminal at the Dubai World Central will scale up passenger capacity to 260 million annually and “fully absorb” DXB’s operations in 10 years.