ALBAWABA - An announcement states that Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport would expand to become the "world's largest airport." Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Emir of Dubai, announced this enormous project on social media.
According to Al Maktoum, the approval for the design of the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum Airport has been granted. The Dubai Aviation Company has earmarked a staggering $35 billion budget for this endeavor.
Concurrently, the emirate aims to increase Dubai International Airport's capacity from the current 100 million passengers to 120 million passengers in the near future.
Plans for the expansion outline a transformation that will see Al Maktoum International Airport operating at a capacity five times its current size. The goal is to accommodate a whopping 260 million passengers annually.
Key features of the expanded airport include 400 gates for passenger boarding and the addition of five separate runways. Al Maktoum also emphasized the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies never before seen in the aviation industry, signaling a leap forward in airport infrastructure and operations.
Dubai International Airport welcomed approximately 87 million passengers in 2023, marking a growth of nearly 32% compared to the previous year. It surpassed the pre-COVID-19 levels recorded in 2019. The airport is expected to receive around 88.8 million passengers by the end of this year, nearing the highest level of passenger traffic recorded in 2018, which was 89.1 million passengers.
