Al Maktoum International airport will be five times the size of Dubai’s current airport and built to stringent sustainability standards. Olivia Palamountain reports
Dubai Ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has given the green light for the construction of a new airport for the Emirate.
Al Maktoum International airport is set to be built at a cost of AED 128 billion (approximately £28 billion) and poised to become the world’s largest airport upon completion, with a capacity to handle 260 million passengers annually.
The project is part of Dubai Aviation Corporation’s strategy to position Al Maktoum International airport as a global aviation hub.
“Al Maktoum International Airport will enjoy the world’s largest capacity, reaching up to 260 million passengers,” Sheikh Mohammed says. “It will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, and all operations at Dubai International airport will be transferred to it in the coming years.”
The airport is set to feature facilities including 400 aircraft gates and five parallel runways, plus advanced aviation technologies employed for the first time in the sector.
Sheikh Mohammed also highlights the economic impact of the project. “As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow. It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors.”
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed within a decade, with an initial capacity to accommodate 150 million passengers annually.
Upon full development, Al Maktoum International airport will span an area of 70 sqkm, and in addition to its passenger capacity, the airport will be capable of handling 12 million tonnes of cargo per annum.
Sustainability is a key focus of the project, with the airport aiming to achieve LEED Gold Certification. The integrated approach will leverage local resources and climatic conditions to achieve exemplary efficiency targets and sustainability goals.
The development of Al Maktoum International airport is expected to generate a workforce and residential requirement for over a million people living and working in Dubai South, the surrounding aerotropolis that has been under development and operation since 2007.