Dubai unveils extensive plans for the most bustling airport globally.
An enormous airport in Saudi Arabia is currently the largest in the world in terms of area, but Dubai has plans to surpass it and become home to the busiest airport by passenger volume.
King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia currently holds the title of the largest airport in the world, spanning 780 square kilometers (about 300 square miles). This makes it bigger than its neighboring country Bahrain. Saudi Arabia isn't content with this title, though; they are working on a new six-runway airport on the King Fahd International site, set to be completed by 2030. This airport has the potential to accommodate up to 185 million passengers annually.
In contrast, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, the world's busiest airport by passenger volume, is expected to serve 110 million passengers this year. However, this isn't the first time Hartsfield-Jackson has held this title - it's maintained the position since the mid-1990s, with the exception of 2020 due to the pandemic.
Dubai, on the other hand, has grand plans for its own airport. Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International, the emirate's newer airport located about 20 miles southwest of downtown Dubai, has always been designed to become the world's largest passenger-handler. However, the new plans involve increasing its capacity to accommodate 260 million passengers per year - a staggering 100 million more than initially projected.
The ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, shared these plans on Sunday, outlining the strategic plan for Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects. This megahub will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport and will ultimately host 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways. All operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to this new airport in the coming years.
Dubai World Central is part of a larger development project called Dubai South, which aims to create a new city on a 145-square-kilometer (56-square-mile) stretch of desert south of Dubai. This district will comprise eight neighborhoods tailored to specific industries or activities, with both residential and commercial areas.
"As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. "Dubai will be the world's airport, its port, its urban hub, and its new global center."
When finished, the airport will span a generous 70 square kilometers (27 square miles), although this is still smaller than the land area of Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International. Therefore, Saudi Arabia will retain the world record for the largest airport for the foreseeable future.
At present, Dubai World Central's primary function is as a center for aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). It also accommodates air cargo operators, including Emirates Cargo, and executive jets and some charter flights. The cargo operations are slated to handle up to 12 million tonnes per year in the future.
Construction on the first phase of this ambitious project is scheduled for completion within 10 years, with a capacity of 150 million passengers annually. The overall timeline stretches over several decades. As Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum put it, "The new airport will prepare the ground for the next 40 years of anticipated growth in Dubai's aviation sector."
Emirates recently announced its relocation to Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International, its "future home." In the interim, Dubai International Airport (DXB) will continue to serve as the primary hub and serve 104.7 million passengers in 2023.
In the northern region of the Gulf, Kuwait International Airport is constructing a new terminal designed by the esteemed British architectural firm Foster+Partners. This terminal has the capacity to handle 25 million passengers per year initially, with potential to double that to 50 million in the future.
Not far from Dubai's city center, Sharjah International Airport - home to budget airline Air Arabia - is likewise expanding its capabilities, aiming for an annual capacity of 20 million passengers.
Besides these projects, other airport expansions are also underway in the area. In 2018, a $1.8 billion brand new airport opened in Muscat, Oman. In 2021, a $1.1 billion new terminal was launched in Bahrain. Most recently, in November 2023, Abu Dhabi unveiled Terminal A, a massive 780,000-square-meter facility equipped to accommodate up to 79 aircraft simultaneously.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
