A Whole New Airport Is Planned For Dubai

Dubai is eying a newer, bigger, better airport.

This is because while Dubai International Airport (DXB) has claimed the title of the world’s busiest airport, passenger demand continues to soar.

Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports Chief Executive, was quoted as saying at the ongoing Dubai Airshow by AFP that once the capacity of DBX has been reached – i.e. about 120 million passengers a year – the city will need a new airport. He said this will happen in the 2030s.

The statement comes at a time when DXB’s annual passenger traffic is forecast to reach 86.8 million – surpassing 2019 (that’s pre-pandemic) footfall.

Griffiths also said that the brand-spanking new airport’s design and tech elements would be under the scanner in the next few months, although the project itself would take a while to come to fruition.

He added that Al Maktoum would also need to be expanded. “It stands to reason that Al Maktoum International has to be even bigger and even better (than Dubai International). This will be a project that extends way into the 2050s because we take the long-term view here.”

He didn’t give dates, deadline or discuss the price tag that was being considered for the new airport, but he did say it would have a futuristic design.

“We are not planning an airport that has terminals. We’re going to completely change the business model for airports, make them actually far more intimate and get rid of all the legacy processes that we’ve had to subject our customers to, for far too long,” he said.