Dubai Airport runway maintenance and upgrade 2014
From 01 May 2014 until mid July 2014, maintenance and upgrade work will be carried out at Dubai Airport with one runway closed for some of this time, resulting in some airlines relocation to Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) and others reducing their flights during this time.- The North Runway will be resurfaced, and out of operation during this period.
- *The South Runway will be closed from 01-31 May 2014 for new taxiway exits to be added, and lights upgraded?
- Number of flights will be reduced by about 25% during this time.
- Emirates Airline will reduce operations but will continue to fly to and from DXB only.
- FlyDubai will transfer some flights to DWC
- List of airlines transferring to Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) at Jebel Ali.
Dubai Airport general information
Dubai International Airport (or just Dubai Airport, DXB) is in the Garhood / Garhoud area of Dubai. A second international airport is under construction in the Jebel Ali area, called Al Maktoum International Airport. Previously the new airport was to be known as Dubai World Central International Airport, and previous to that was Jebel Ali Airport, Jebel Ali International Airport, Jebel Ali Airport City, or Dubai International Airport City. Both airports are owned and operated by Dubai Airports (a catchy name for a company in the airport business wouldn't you say?).- Dubai Airport opened on 30 September 1960. By 1969 there were 9 airlines to 20 destinations, by 2004 there were 107 airlines to more than 160 destinations. As of June 2008 there are 120 airlines flying to 205 destinations.
- Terminal 1 connects to the new Sheikh Rashid Terminal (concourse) which opened in April 2000, and is used for most commercial flights to Dubai. Passenger capacity was increased to about 25 million passengers per year, which meant the new terminal was only good for 5 years before busting its gaskets. Prior to the opening of the Sheikh Rashid Terminal, the Terminal 1 building was also the concourse for flight arrivals and departures.
- Terminal 2 is used mostly for business and charter flights. Expansion of capacity from 7m to 12m passengers per year expected to be completed by 2013 (01 May 2012 news).
- Terminal 3 (and concourse 2), originally expected to be completed in 2006 but not open until 14 October 2008, is dedicated to Emirates Airlines passengers. Total capacity of Dubai Airport up to 60 million passengers per year with the opening of T3.
- Concourse 3 - another A380 specific facility, with longer ladders for the upstairs passengers, was expected to open in 2009 but that's been pushed back to 2011 ... to late 2012 (06 July 2011 news) ... to 2013 Q1 (01 May 2012 news). This, together with the new terminal 3 and concourse 2, will increase capacity to 70-80 million passengers per year (various figures seen - April 2009 reports said 80m). Which sounds like a lot, but at current growth rates the doors won't close anymore by about 2012/2013. However, by then the new airport at Jebel Ali should be taking up some of the strain.
- Concourse 4 expected to be in operation sometime in 2015 (01 May 2012 news).
- An e-gate card is available for residents and visitors, a very handy short cut to the ever lengthening queues at passport control.
- Average annual growth in passenger numbers for Dubai Airport is about 9-10% since 1980, which increased to about 15% annual growth from 2002-2007, and was back to 10% or less after that.
- Dubai International Airport was voted Best in the Middle East and Africa for 2005 by Business Traveller Magazine Germany.
Dubai Airport biometric passport scanning
- From 25 April 2012, a new smart e-Gate passport scanning system is available at Terminal 3 arrivals. The system scans biometric passports and includes facial recognition and a retinal scan. Initially the system is on a 2 month trial run (reported 26 April 2012).
- Adults and children over 7 years old with biometric passports can use the new system.
- More scanning systems are expected to be installed at other immigration entry points eventually.
Dubai Airport contact information
- DXB postal address: Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai International Airport, PO Box 2525, Dubai, UAE
- Telephone +971-4-2162525 or +971-4-2166333.
- Flight information tel +971-4-2166666.
Dubai Airport passenger numbers
| Year | Passengers | Cargo (tonnes) | Year | Passengers | Cargo (tonnes) | Year | Passengers | Cargo (tonnes) | Year | Passengers | Cargo (tonnes) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.79 million | 49.9k | 1990 | 5.0 million | 144k | 2000 | 12.3 million | 0.56m | 2010 | 47.2 million | 2.3m | |||
| 1981 | 3.16 million | 62.1k | 1991 | 4.4 million | 140k | 2001 | 13.5 million | 0.61m | 2011 | 51.0 million | 2.19m | |||
| 1982 | 3.36 million | 72.2k | 1992 | 5.4 million | 186k | 2002 | 16 million | 0.76m | 2012 | 58 million | 2.28m | |||
| 1983 | 3.57 million | 82.5k | 1993 | 5.7 million | 218k | 2003 | 18 million | 0.94m | 2013 | 66 million | ||||
| 1984 | 3.63 million | 88.0k | 1994 | 6.3 million | 243k | 2004 | 22 million | 1.11m | 2014 | |||||
| 1985 | 3.85 million | 94.0k | 1995 | 7.1 million | 316k | 2005 | 25 million | 1.33m | 2015 | 3.4m | ||||
| 1986 | 3.78 million | 99.3k | 1996 | 8.0 million | 359k | 2006 | 28 million | 1.41m | 2016 | |||||
| 1987 | 4.31 million | 117k | 1997 | 9.1 million | 414k | 2007 | 34 million | 1.67m | 2017 | |||||
| 1988 | 4.35 million | 123k | 1998 | 9.7 million | 432k | 2008 | 37.4 million | 1.82m | 2018 | 90 million | ||||
| 1989 | 4.56 million | 131k | 1999 | 10.8 million | 475k | 2009 | 40.9 million | 1.93m | 2019 | |||||
| 2020 | 98.5 million | 4m |
- Figures in italics represent estimates and/or forecasts.
- 29 Jan 2013 (press release) - Dubai Airports announced 2012 total passenger traffic of 58 million, 13.2% increase from 2011, and higher than estimate at beginning of 2012 of 56.5 million. Total aircraft movements of 344,245 in 2012, up 5.5% from 326,318 movements in 2011.
- 26 Jan 2011 - Dubai Airports announced 2010 figures in a press release. Total of 47.2 million passengers (higher than estimate of 46.1m), and a growth rate of 15.4% for 2010. Estimated traffic for 2011 is 52.2 million, up 11% from 2010. Cargo traffic up 17.7% to 2.3m tonnes in 2010, estimated to increase 48% by 2015.
- A curious press release on 17 June 2010 from the GCAA (?) forecast that The six airports in the UAE together will handle 41.7 million passengers by 2020 marking a significant growth from the current level of about 26 million passengers, a number which doesn't make sense given that Dubai Airport alone already handles more than that, and by 2020 could be handling well over 100 million passengers per year if growth rates continue at around 10% per annum (9.4% for 2009).
- 2009 figures and 2010 forecasts released 13 January 2010 by Dubai Airports.
