The airport that has been one of the most important air gateways in the world for nearly 75 years is now on the path to a historic change.

According to announced plans, Dubai International Airport (DXB) will be completely closed by 2035, and all its flights, services, and operations will be transferred to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC); a massive project being developed with an investment of around £28 billion.

With this change, all flights from companies like Emirates and Flydubai will also operate from the new airport. The ultimate goal of this project is to transform Al Maktoum into the largest air hub in the world, with a capacity to handle around 260 million passengers annually.

This new airport is set to include five parallel runways and about 400 boarding gates, designed as a new generation of smart airports; a place focused on providing a more comfortable and faster experience for travelers.

The CEO of Dubai Airports has emphasized that continuing the simultaneous operation of two major hubs in close proximity is not economically justified, and ultimately all services will be transferred to Al Maktoum. He also mentioned that the infrastructure of DXB is nearing the end of its operational lifespan.

One of the important reasons for this decision is the geographical location of DXB; an airport that is surrounded by highways and residential areas and has no room for extensive development.

According to the plans, the transfer process will begin in the early 2030s, but the complete project of Al Maktoum will continue until around 2057.

Alongside this transformation, the connection of the new airport to the Etihad Rail rapid transit network is also being considered; a route that could reduce travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to about 30 minutes.

Source: Express News