Dubai World Central to launch next year
DUBAI – Dubai’s new World Central airport will soft open in June next year.
The first runway will be operational alongside the first passenger terminal.
Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, said the challenge for Dubai World Central (DWC) was “to create the world’s best airport run by the world’s best airport service delivery teamâ€.
Griffiths said the airport would open in three phases, starting with the relocation of a small amount of traffic from the current Dubai International Airport.
Phase two would see more carriers located to DWC and the third phase would involve the Emirates fleet moving to the new facility.
Together, the two airports will give Dubai the capacity to handle 160 million passengers per year.
Griffiths said that given the experience at other new airports, including the launch of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, it was essential that the move across to DWC should not be rushed.
“Hotels do soft openings to test their systems and gradually build occupancy. I don’t feel we need to do a big bang opening with the new DWC airport.
“It could take anything between 10 and 20 years to complete the move,†he said.
In the meantime the two airports would operate as one system even though they were 35 kms apart.
Ian Jarrett
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