Al Maktoum Airport on track to become Dubai's premier airport
Dubai International Airport, often referred to by its IATA code DXB, is the pinnacle of excellence in the aviation sector. It is Dubai's only airport and the little brother of Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.
Al Maktoum Airport is a key component of the major Dubai World Central (DXB) project, a vast residential, commercial and logistics hub designed to establish a self-sufficient economic zone that supports a wide range of activities, including aviation, logistics and retail.
Erected in honor of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, an iconic figure in the founding of the United Arab Emirates, the airport symbolizes Dubai's forward-thinking leadership and is built in harmony with Dubai's vision for the future. It was inaugurated in June 2010 and began commercial operations in October 2013, with the aim of becoming one of the world's largest airports.
IATA code: DXB
Open: June 2010 (commercial flights from October 2013)
Size: Over 220 square kilometers
Annual passenger capacity: 160 million
Landing strips: Five runways planned, each measuring four kilometers
What sets Dubai International Airport apart from many other airports is its remarkable ambition and the vision it embodies for Dubai's future. The airport is an essential part of a larger residential, commercial and logistics complex called "Dubai South".
The scale and ambition of this project place it among the most significant achievements in modern infrastructure. The vision goes beyond simply building another large, resilient structure - it aims to create a cohesive environment where businesses can thrive and offer first-class services to millions of passengers worldwide. This venture is about more than runways and terminals; it offers a glimpse of a future where technological advances meet human aspirations.
If there's one city in the world that's constantly evolving and always ready to set records, it's Dubai: it's home to the world's highest infinity pool, but also the planet's largest permanent vertical labyrinth, or the world's tallest skyscraper. And these, of course, are just some of the records in this vibrant reality. The records, in fact, are numerous, and soon another particularly interesting one will be added: one of Dubai's airports will become the largest on the planet.
Al Maktoum Airport is therefore set to become the country's leading airport and, quite possibly, the world's largest airport: it is estimated that it will be able to handle 260 million passengers. The reason for the decision to focus on this facility is quite simple: the dizzying increase in passenger numbers that Dubai has recorded has raised the problem of the capacity of Dubai's current main airport, which, being virtually an urban airport since it is located just a few kilometers from the Burj Khalifa, is in no way able to significantly increase the volume of passengers it is able to accommodate.
Al Maktoum International, on the other hand, is located in a much less urbanized area of the city, offering further scope for expansion.
The United Arab Emirates is therefore ready to invest $34 billion in its expansion to make it five times larger than the current main airport, Dubai International Airport, which last year became the first in the world to exceed 87 million passengers.
According to an announcement by Dubai ruler Mohamed bin Rashid, the new Al Maktoum will include up to "400 gates and feature five parallel runways" (it currently has just two). For this reason, all Dubai International Airport activities will be transferred to Al Maktoum in the coming years.
But that's not all, as the governor has even planned the construction of "an entire city around the airport, in the south of Dubai", which will be able to accommodate up to a million people.
According to forecasts, Al Maktoum Airport will be the world's largest airport in terms of size and passenger flow by 2050. All that remains now is to wait and see if Dubai can set a new world record this time too.
Over the next decade, all activities at Dubai International Airport (DXB) will be transferred to AI Makioum Airport. This airport, which is currently used by passengers, as well as for freight and private flights, will undergo this transition. As a result, journey times to Dubai airport are set to increase significantly, particularly for those travelling to the downtown and Business Bay areas.
We anticipate an expansion of real estate projects in the Dubai South region. The districts of Jebel Au, Al Furjan, Dubai South and Dubai South should benefit from this urban transformation. Property values in this geographical area are set to rise over the next few years...as are rental costs. The Dubai government predicts that the population of Dubai South could increase by a million by the time Al Maktoum airport is completed.
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