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| The departures exterior of DWC. Photo: Dubai Airports |
[Avionics Today 09-08-14] Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has endorsed a $32 billion expansion of the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central (DWC). The “aerotropolis” currently under construction in Dubai will ultimately accommodate more than 200 million passengers a year.
The new airport complex is set on upping airport efficiency by integrating logistics platforms, transport modes and even manufacturing and assembly in order to accommodate increased passenger and cargo growth in the decades ahead.
According to a statement released by Dubai Airports, the development is anticipated to be the biggest airport project in the world and will be built in two phases. The first phase includes two satellite buildings that will accommodate 120 million passengers, receive 100 A380 aircraft at any one time and will take between six and eight years to complete. The entire development will cover an area of 56 square kilometers.
Additionally, Emirates is looking to relocate their intercontinental hub operations to DWC by the mid-2020s.