Dubai is all set to begin the $33 million expansion project of Al-Maktoum International Airport (DWC). The project was launched in June 2010 for cargo operations and in October 2013 for passengers.
Upon completion of expansion, the airport claims to be world’s biggest airport by 2050, capable of handling up to 255 million passengers annually.
The initial phase of the project will increase the airport’s capacity to 130 million passengers per annum, and the total development will cover an area of 56 square kilometers. This phase is expected to be completed by 2030.
The project is expected to give a significant boost to UAE economy and as per sources, talks among officials are ongoing and potential stakeholders have been advised to prepare for a restart. Besides strong passenger recovery post pandemic has helped restart the expansion work. Dubai International airport handled 66.1 million passengers in 2022. However as per Airports Council International (ACI) this number is still 23% less than in 2019 levels.
Dubai is also expecting about 78 million passengers this year before returning to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.
The expansion of the airport is seen as a way to boost investment and increase the number of passengers coming to Dubai.