Dubai Airports has delayed the opening of its passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport, in Jebel Ali, until the end of the year. The airport was supposed to open this month but Dubai Airports said that even the revised date for the fourth quarter of this year "remains under review".
To cope with the rise in demand, Dubai airports is juggling the development plans of Dubai International Airport, which will serve the emirate's aviation needs for another 10 to 20 years, and Al Maktoum International, which is part of a larger master-development called Dubai World Central (DWC).
"DWC is and has always been a long-term solution to the capacity expansion plans for Dubai," Dubai Airports said. "The focus for the next decade will continue to be Dubai International to accommodate the incredible growth we have been experiencing. That includes the construction of Concourse 3 and other facility enhancements designed to boost our capacity from the current 60 million passengers per year to 90 million by 2018.