Dubai Set to Build World’s Largest Airport: $2.92 Trillion Investment, 400 Terminals, 26 Billion Passengers Annually
According to Al Jazeera, the construction of the world’s largest airport is underway in Dubai, UAE. It is estimated to cost 35 billion dollars, approximately 2.6 lakh crore rupees. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of Dubai, had disclosed this information on social media.
He mentioned that the new airport will be five times larger than Dubai International Airport. It is expected to accommodate 26 crore travelers annually. This project will commence from Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport. There will be five parallel runways, allowing five planes to take off or land simultaneously. Additionally, the airport will have 400 terminal gates.
The Al Maktoum Airport is set to be ready in 10 years. The Prime Minister stated that the design for the new airport has been approved. It will cover an area of 70 square kilometers. The goal is to complete its construction within the next decade. Once the project is finished, operations from Dubai International Airport will be transferred to the new Al Maktoum Airport.
Under this project, an entire city will be established around the airport in Dubai South. Housing projects for 1 million people will also be completed. Currently, Dubai Airport is the busiest international airport globally. Around 66 million passengers passed through this airport in 2022.
Decision Made to Handle Crowds at Dubai Airport
According to reports, these figures have declined post-COVID. Before the pandemic, around 87 million people traveled through this airport in 2019. In 2018, 90 million passengers were served here. Due to heavy crowds, managing operations at this airport poses significant challenges. Therefore, work is underway on the Al Maktoum project.
According to Al Jazeera, UAE has been planning to transfer the operations of Dubai Airport to Al Maktoum Airport for years. However, due to the economic downturn in the UAE in 2009, these efforts were put on hold.
During the pandemic, Al Maktoum Airport was utilized for plane parking. It is located 45 kilometers away from Dubai Airport. Built in 2010, it initially had only one terminal. During the pandemic, it was used for parking the Airbus A380 double-decker planes of Emirates Airlines and many other aircraft. Additionally, Dubai Air Show is held here annually.
