Dubai starts work on ‘world’s largest’ airport Al Maktoum International Airport: 400 gates, 5 runways planned

Dubai began building a new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport on Sunday. The ruler of the Gulf emirate stated that it will be “the world’s largest” terminal, with a projected cost of around $35 billion (Rs 2.9 lakh crore).

“We approved the designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport and (are) commencing construction of the building for AED 128 billion ($34.85 billion),” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, said on X.

As per the government announcement, once the new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport is fully operational, it will have the capacity to handle up to 260 million passengers annually.

The new airport will boast five parallel runways, a capacity to host 260 million passengers and 400 aircraft gates.

Sheikh Mohammed described it as having “the world’s largest capacity” and being “five times larger than the current Dubai International Airport,” which is one of the busiest air hubs worldwide.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO of Emirates, said, “The initial phase of the project will be completed within a decade, with a capacity to serve 150 million passengers annually.”

The CEO of Emirates also stated that the airport will serve as the new hub for flagship carrier Emirates, its low-cost counterpart Flydubai, and all airline partners, enabling global connections to and from Dubai.

Al Maktoum Airport, situated on the outskirts of the city, has not drawn a large share of Dubai’s air traffic since 2010. Authorities intend for it to take over from Dubai International Airport, which can handle up to 120 million passengers each year but cannot expand further due to its central location in the city.