Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB, ICAO: OMDB) (Arabic: ???? ??? ????????

)
is the primary airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates and is the world's bu
siest airport by international passenger traffic.[4] It is also the 3rd busiest
airport in the world by passenger traffic,[5] the 6th busiest cargo airport in w
orld,[6] the busiest airport for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements,[7] and th
e busiest airport in the world operating with only two runways. In 2016, DXB han
dled 83.6 million passengers, 2.59 million tonnes of cargo and registered 418,22
0 aircraft movements.[8]
Dubai International is situated in the Al Garhoud district, 2.5 nautical miles (
4.6 km; 2.9 mi) east[2] of Dubai and spread over an area of 2,900 hectares (7,20
0 acres) of land.[9] The airport is operated by the Dubai Airports Company and i
s the home base of Dubai's international airlines, Emirates and flydubai. The Em
irates hub is the largest airline hub in the Middle East; Emirates handles aroun
d 65% of all passenger traffic and accounts for approximately 42% of all aircraf
t movements at the airport.[10][11] Dubai Airport is also the base for low-cost
carrier flydubai which handles 11.6% of passenger traffic and 25% of aircraft mo
vements at DXB.[12] The airport consists of three terminals and has a total capa
city of 90 million passengers annually. Terminal 3 is the second largest buildin
g in the world by floor space and the largest airport terminal in the world.[13]
As of January 2016, there are over 7,700 weekly flights operated by 140 airline
s to over 270 destinations across all six inhabited continents.[14]
Dubai International is an important contributor to the Dubai economy, as it empl
oys approximately 90,000 people, indirectly supports over 400,000 jobs and contr
ibutes over US$26.7 billion to the economy, which represents around 27 per cent
of Dubai s GDP and 21% of the employment in Dubai.[15] It is predicted that by 202
0, the economic contribution of Dubai s aviation sector will rise to 37.5% of the
city's GDP and by 2030, the economic impact of aviation is projected to grow to
$88.1 billion and support 1.95 million jobs in Dubai or 44.7% of the GDP and 35.
1% of the total employment.[1][16]
History[edit]
The history of civil aviation in Dubai started in July 1937 when an air agreemen
t was signed for a flying boat base for the aircraft of Imperial Airways with re
ntal of the base at about 440 Rupees per month this included the guards' wages.[
citation needed] The Empire Flying Boats also started operating once a week flyi
ng east to Karachi and west to Southampton, England. By February 1938, there wer
e four flying boats a week.[citation needed]
In the 1940s, flying from Dubai was by flying boats operated by British Overseas
Airways Corporation (BOAC), operating the Horseshoe route from Southern Africa
via the Persian Gulf to Sydney.[17]
Construction[edit]
Dubai Airport fire station and terminal/control tower seen from the landside, ea
rly 1965.
The first jet aircraft to land on the new runway at Dubai Airport in 1965 was a
Comet from Middle East Airlines.
Construction of the airport was ordered by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin
Saeed Al Maktoum, in 1959. It officially opened in 1960 with its first airfield
, at which time it was able to handle aircraft the size of a Douglas DC-3 on a 1
,800 m (5,906 ft) long runway made of compacted sand.[18] Three turning-areas, a
n apron and small terminal completed the airport that was constructed by Costain
.[19]
In May 1963, construction of a 9,200 ft (2,804 m) asphalt runway started. This n
ew runway, alongside the original sand runway and taxiway opened in May 1965, to
gether with several new extensions were added to the Terminal Building, hangars
erected, Airport and Navigational aids were installed. The installation of the l
ighting system continued after official opening and was completed in August of t
hat year. During the second half of the 1960s several extensions, equipment upgr
ades like a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) and an instrument landing system (IL
S) as well as new buildings were constructed. By 1969, the airport was served by
9 airlines serving some 20 destinations.[20]
Operations and statistics
Passenger movements
2003 18,062,344 2010 47,180,628
2004 21,711,883 2011 50,977,960
2005 23,607,507 2012 57,684,550
2006 28,788,726 2013 66,431,533
2007 34,340,000 2014 70,475,636
2008 37,441,440 2015 78,014,838
2009 40,901,752 2016 83,654,250
Airfreight movements in tonnes
2003 928,758 2010 2,270,498
2004 1,111,647 2011 2,199,750
2005 1,333,014 2012 2,279,624
2006 1,410,963 2013 2,435,567
2007 1,668,505 2014 2,367,574
2008 1,824,991 2015 2,506,092
2009 1,927,520 2016 2,592,454
Aircraft movements
2003 148,334 2010 292,662
2004 168,511 2011 326,317
2005 195,820 2012 344,245
2006 217,165 2013 369,953
2007 260,530 2014 357,339
2008 N/A 2015 403,517
2009 N/A 2016 418,220
Capacity
Passenger (current) 83,000,000
Passenger (ultimate) 90,000,000
Cargo (current) 2.5m tonnes
Cargo (ultimate) 2.5m tonnes
Apron (current) 173
Number of destinations
International (air) 240
Number of airlines
International 140+
The inauguration was on 15 May 1966 and was marked by the visits of the first bi
g jets of Middle East Airlines and Kuwait Airways Comets.[21]
The advent of wide body aircraft required further airport development in the 197
0s, which had already been foreseen by the Ruler of Dubai, and plans for a new T
erminal, runways, and taxiways capable of coping with international flights were
drawn up. The construction of a new terminal building consisting of a three-sto
ry building 110 m (360 ft) long and included an enclosed floor area of 13,400 m2
(144,000 sq ft). A new 28 m (92 ft) control tower was also constructed.[22]
Expansion continued in the early 1970s including ILS Category II equipment, leng
thening existing runway to 12,500 ft (3,810 m), installation of a non-directiona
l beacon (NDB), diesel generators, taxiways, etc. This work made handling the Bo
eing 747 and Concorde possible. Several runway and apron extensions were carried
out through the decade to meet growing demand.[23]
1971 saw the new precision category 2 Approach and Runway Lighting System being
commissioned. The construction of the Airport Fire Station and the installation
of the generators were completed in December of that year and was fully operatio
nal in March 1972. The ruler also commissioned and inaugurated the Long-range Su
rveillance System on 19 June 1973.[24]
With the expansion of the Airport Fire Services it was necessary to find more su
itable accommodation and a hangar style building was made available to them at t
he end of 1976. This was located midway between the runway ends to facilitate ef
ficient operations. A new building was also constructed to house the Airport Mai
ntenance Engineer, Electronics Engineering section and Stores unit.
Expansion of the Airport Restaurant and Transit Lounge including the refurbishin
g of the upper level and the provision of a new kitchen was completed in Decembe
r 1978.
The next phase of development was the second runway, which was completed three m
onths ahead of schedule and opened in April 1984. This runway, located 360 m (1,
180 ft) north of the existing runway and parallel to it and is equipped with the
latest meteorological, airfield lighting and instrument landing systems to give
the airport a Category II classification.
Also several extensions and upgrades of terminal facilities and supporting syste
ms were carried out. On 23 December 1980 the airport became an ordinary member o
f the Airports Council International (ACI).
During the 1980s, Dubai was a stopping point for airlines such as Air India, Cat
hay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and others travelling between
Asia and Europe that needed a refuelling point in the Persian Gulf. This use wa
s later made redundant with the availability of Russian airspace due to the brea
kup of the Soviet Union and the advent of longer-range aircraft introduced in th
e late 1980s and early 1990s such as the Airbus A340, the Boeing 747-400 and the
Boeing 777 series aircraft, which had the range to fly between Europe and South
east Asia nonstop.[25]
Expansion[edit]
Azerbaijan Airlines Boeing 707-300 parked at a remote stand at Dubai Internation
al Airport in 1995.
Air Astana Boeing 737-700 taxiing at Dubai International Airport in 2005.
The opening of Terminal 2 in 1998 saw the first step of phase 1 of the new devel
opment master plan launched in 1997. As the second stage, Concourse 1 opened in
April 2000 under the name of Sheikh Rashid Terminal. The concourse is 0.8 km (0.
50 mi) in length and connects to the check-in area by a 0.3 km (0.19 mi) undergr
ound tunnel containing moving walkways (conveyor belt/travelators). It also cont
ains a hotel, business centre, health club, exchanges, dining and entertainment
facilities, internet services, medical centre, post office and a prayer room. Th
e next step was the reconfiguration of the runways, already part of phase 2, and
aprons and taxiways were expanded and strengthened in 2003 2004. In addition, the
Dubai Flower Centre opened in 2005 as part of the development. The airport saw
the need for this as the city is a hub for import and export of flowers and the
airport required a specialist facility since flowers need special conditions.[26
][27]
Construction of Terminal 3 began in 2004 as the next stage of phase 2 of the dev
elopment, with an estimated cost of around $4.55 billion. Completion was origina
lly planned for 2006, but was delayed by two years.[28]
On 30 May 2008, a topping out ceremony was conducted. The terminal became operat
ional on 14 October 2008, with Emirates Airline (EK2926) from Jeddah, Saudi Arab
ia, being the first flight to arrive at the new terminal and EK843 to Doha, Qata
r being the first departing flight. The terminal increased the airport's maximum
passenger capacity annually by 47 million, bringing the total annual capacity u
p to 75 million passengers.[29]
On 29 October 2010, the airport marked its 50th anniversary. The airport has see
n over 402 million passengers at an average annual growth rate of 15.5% and hand
led over 3.87 million aircraft at an average annual growth rate of 12.4%.[30]
With the arrival of the Airbus A380, the airport made modifications costing $230
million. These included the building of 29 gates capable of handling the large
aircraft, five of which are in Terminal 3 and two are in Terminal 1. Other impor
tant projects at the airport include the next stage of the phase 2 development,
which includes the construction of Concourse 3. This will be a smaller version o
f Concourse 2, which is connected to Terminal 3.
Also as part of the expansion, the airport is now able to handle at least 75 mil
lion (an increase of 19 million) passengers per annum with the opening of Concou
rse 3, which is part of Terminal 3. However, recent communications predict a fur
ther increase to 80 million passengers with additional reassessments of existing
capacities. In 2009, Terminal 2 expanded its facilities to handle 5 million (an
increase of 2 million) passengers annually, taking the airport's total capacity
to 62 million passengers. The Department of Civil Aviation has said that Termin
al 2 will be continuously upgraded and expanded to bring the total capacity of t
he airport from the initial 75 million passengers to 80 million passenger capaci
ty by 2012.[31]
The Cargo Mega Terminal, which will have the capacity to handle 3 million tonnes
of cargo a year, is a major development; it is going to be built in the long te
rm. Completion of the Mega terminal will be no later than 2018. Terminal 2 will
be completely redeveloped to match the status of the other two terminals. With a
ll of these projects completed by 2013, the airport expects to be able of handli
ng at least 75 80 million passengers and over 5 million tonnes of cargo.

Aircraft parked at concourse C. Concourse C has a capacity of 33 million passeng

ers
The airport's landside facilities were modified to allow construction of two sta
tions for the Red Line of Dubai Metro. One station was built at Terminal 1 and t
he other at Terminal 3. The line began service on 9 September 2009, and opened i
n phases over the next year.[32] The second Metro line, the Green Line, runs nea
r the Airport Free Zone and has served the airport's north-eastern area with the
Terminal 2 starting in September 2011.[33]
The proposed 52 km (32 mi) Purple Line will link Dubai International Airport and
Al Maktoum International Airport, which is currently being built at Jebel Ali.[
34]
With phase 2 of DXB's expansion plan complete, the airport now has three termina
ls and three concourses, two cargo mega terminals, an airport free zone,[35] an
expo centre with three large exhibition halls, a major aircraft maintenance hub
and a flower centre to handle perishable goods.[31] A phase 3 which has been inc
luded in the master-plan involves the construction of a new Concourse 4.
The airport revealed its future plans in May 2011, which involve construction of
a new Concourse D for all airlines currently operating from concourse C. Concou
rse D is expected to bring the total capacity of the airport to over 90 million
passengers and will open in early 2016. The plan also involves Emirates solely o
perating from Concourse C along with Concourse A and B.[36]
In September 2012, Dubai Airports changed the names of concourses to make it eas
ier for passengers to navigate the airport. Concourse 1, in which over 100 inter
national airlines operate, became Concourse C. Concourse 2 became Concourse B an
d Concourse 3 became Concourse A. The gates in Terminal 2 were changed and are n
ow numbered F1 to F6. The remaining alpha-numeric sequences are being reserved f
or future airport facilities that are part of the Dubai Airports' $7.8 billion e
xpansion programme, including Concourse D.[37]
[show]Summary of Dubai International Airport Masterplan
Dubai's government has announced the construction of a new airport in Jebel Ali,
named Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport. It is expected to
be the second largest airport in the world by physical size, though not by pass
enger metrics. It opened 27 June 2010,[51] however, construction is not expected
to finish until 2017. The airport is expected to be able to accommodate up to 1
60 million passengers.[52] There has been an official plan to build the Dubai Me
tro Purple Line to connect Al Maktoum International Airport to Dubai Internation
al Airport; construction was set to begin in 2012. Since then, there have been r
umours that the Purple Line is being postponed or even cancelled.[53] Concourse
D opened on 24 February 2016 for all international airlines and moved out of the
Terminal 1. Emirates now operates from Concourse A,Terminal 3 and Terminal 1.
Growth in traffic at Dubai International Airport[54][55]
Airlines 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014
Passenger movements 4.347 million 6.299 million 9.732 million 15.973 m
illion 28.788 million 47.181 million 70.476 million
Airfreight movements (tonnes) 144,282 243,092 431,777 764,193 1.410 million
2.19 million 2.37 million
City links 36 54 110 170 195 210 240
Weekly scheduled flights N/A N/A 2,350 2,850 4,550 6,100
7,500
Airlines N/A N/A 80 102 113 135 140
Air traffic[edit]
Main airlines based at DXB[edit]
Emirates operations at Dubai International
Emirates Airline is the largest airline operating at the airport, with an all-wi
de-body fleet of over 200 Airbus and Boeing aircraft based at Dubai, providing s
cheduled services to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South
America, Australia and New Zealand. It operates out of Terminal 3, Concourses A
,B and C.[56]
Emirates SkyCargo, a subsidiary of Emirates, operates scheduled all-cargo servic
es between Dubai and the rest of the world.[57]
Flydubai, a low-cost airline planning to operate over 100 aircraft on scheduled
passenger services to and from Dubai, to the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Sou
th Asia. It operates from Terminal 2.[58]
Qantas uses DXB as a secondary hub after moving its hub for European flights to
Dubai and entering an extensive commercial relationship with Emirates in 2013. Q
antas flies daily A380 services from both Sydney and Melbourne to London via Dub
ai, meaning that together Emirates and Qantas offer 98 weekly services between A
ustralia and Dubai.[59]
Recreational flying to Dubai is catered for by the Dubai Aviation Club, which un
dertakes flying training for private pilots and provides facilities for private
owners.[60]
The Government of Dubai provides short and long range search and rescue services
, police support, medical evacuation and general purpose flights for the airport
and all VIP flights to the airport.[61]
Infrastructure[edit]
Airport Layout
Infrastructure[62][63]
Taxiways
Length 25,300 m (83,000 ft)
Width 30 m (98 ft)
Passenger terminal buildings
Total
Floor area 1,972,474 m2 (21,231,530 sq ft)
Handling capacity c. 90 million passengers[64]
Parking bays 73 (aerobridge)
100 (remote)
Terminal One + (Concourse C)[65]
Opened 1 April 2000 (operational)
Floor area 246,474 m2 (2,653,020 sq ft)
Handling capacity 22 million passengers
Parking bays 69 Aircraft Stands (32 stands shared between T1, T2, and T3)
Concourse D[66]
Opened 2016
Floor area 150,000 m2 (1,600,000 sq ft)
Handling capacity 18 million
Parking bays 19 aircraft stands
Terminal Two[67]
Opened May 1, 1998 (operational)
Floor area 13,000 m2 (140,000 sq ft)
Handling capacity 10 million passengers
Parking bays 37 aircraft stands (2 stands shared with T1)
Terminal Three + (Concourse A and B)[68]
Opened 14 October 2008 (operational)
Floor area 1,713,000 m2 (18,440,000 sq ft): Terminal 3 (515000m2) + Concour
se A (528000m2) + Concourse B (670000m2)
Handling capacity 43 million passengers: Concourse A (19 million) + Concou
rse B (24 million)
Parking bays 99 aircraft stands (30 shared between T1, T2 and T3)
VIP Pavilion
Opened January 2005 (operational)
Floor area N/A
Handling capacity N/A
Parking bays N/A
Aircraft parked at remote stands at DXB
Dubai International Airport was conceptualised to function as Dubai's primary ai
rport and the region's busiest for the foreseeable future without the need for r
elocation or the building of another airport when passenger figures increased. T
he area was chosen near to Dubai, to attract passengers from the city of Dubai,
rather than travel to the busier Sharjah International Airport. The planned loca
tion originally was Jebel Ali.[69]
The original master plan for the existing airport initially involved a dual-term
inal and one runway configuration over two phases with provisions for another tw
o passenger terminals in the near future. Phase 1 included the construction for
the first passenger terminal, the first runway, 70 aircraft parking bays, suppor
t facilities and structures, including a large maintenance hangar, the first fir
e station, workshops and administrative offices, an airfreight complex, two carg
o agents' buildings, in-flight catering kitchens and a 87 m (285 ft) control tow
er. Construction for the second phase would commence immediately after the compl
etion of Phase 1 and include the second runway, 50 new aircraft parking bays in
addition to the existing 70 bays, a second fire station and a third cargo agent
building.[70]
The third phase included construction of a new terminal (now the parts of Termin
al 1's main building and Concourse C) and an additional 60 parking bays, as well
as new aircraft maintenance facility. Then, in the early 2000s (decade) a new m
aster plan was introduced which began the development of the current concourses
and terminal infrastructure.[71]
Paul Griffiths (Dubai Airports' CEO) in his interview to Vision magazine, cited
plans to build infrastructure to support the expansion of Emirates and budget ai
rline Flydubai, and ascend the ranks of global aviation hubs.[72]
Airport traffic control tower[edit]
The airport traffic control tower (ATCT) is an 87 m (285 ft) control tower was c
onstructed as part of phase two of the then-development plan.[73]
Terminals[edit]
Dubai International Airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 has one concourse (c
oncourse D), Terminal 2 is set apart from the other two main buildings and Termi
nal 3 is divided into Concourse A, B, and C. The cargo terminal is capable of ha
ndling 3 million tonnes of cargo annually and a general aviation terminal (GAT)
is close by.[26]

A aerial view of concourse B and C. Concourse A (not shown) is connected to Term

inal 3 via an Automated People Mover. Concourse D is also connected to Terminal
1 via an APM
Aircraft parked at Concourse C before most of Emirates' operations moved to Conc
ourse B. Emirates took over operations of concourse C in 2016 as all airlines op
erating from concourse C moved to concourse D.
Interior of Concourse C. In 2013 Dubai Airports announced a renovation program o
f concourse C and Terminal 1 expected to be completed in 2015.
Passenger terminals[edit]
Dubai Airport has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 are directly conn
ected with a common transit area, with airside passengers being able to move fre
ely between the terminals without going through immigration, while Terminal 2 is
on the opposite side of the airport. For transiting passengers, a shuttle servi
ce runs between the terminals, with a journey time of around 20 minutes from Ter
minal 2 to Terminal 1 and 30 minutes to Terminal 3. Passengers in Terminal 3 who
need to transfer between concourse A and the rest of the Terminal have to trave
l via an Automated People Mover. Also after early 2016 when the construction of
Concourse D was done, there is now an automated People Mover between concourse D
and Terminal 3.[74]
Situated beside Terminal 2 is the Executive Flights Terminal, which has its own
check-in facilities for premium passengers and where transportation to aircraft
in any of the other terminals is by personal buggy.
The three passenger terminals have a total handling capacity of around 80 millio
n passengers a year.
Terminals 1 and 3 cater to international passengers, whilst Terminal 2 is for bu
dget passengers and passengers flying to the Sub-Continent and Persian Gulf regi
on; Terminals 1 and 3 handle 85% of the passenger traffic and the Executive Flig
hts terminal is for the higher end travellers and important guests.
Terminal 1[edit]
Terminal 1 has a capacity of 15 million passengers. It is used by over 100 airli
nes and is connected to Concourse D by an automated people mover. It is spread o
ver an area of 520,000 m2 (5,600,000 sq ft) and offers 221 check in counters.
The Terminal was originally built to handle 18 million passengers, however with
extreme congestion at the terminal, the airport was forced to expand the termina
l to accommodate with the opening of 28 remote gates. Over the years, more mobil
e gates were added to the airport bringing the total as of 2010 to 28.
In 2013, Dubai Airports announced a major renovation for Terminal 1 and Concours
e C. The renovations include upgraded baggage systems, replacement of check-in d
esks and a more spacious departure hall. Arrivals will also see improvements to
help reduce waiting times. The renovation is completed by the middle of 2015.[75
]
Concourse D
Planning begun for further expansion of Dubai Airport, with the construction of
Terminal 4, it was revealed on the day Emirates completed its phased operations
at the new Terminal 3, on 14 November 2008.[76] According to Dubai Airport offic
ials, plans for Terminal 4 had begun and extensions would be made to Terminal 3.
These are required to bring the capacity of the airport to 80 90 million passenge
rs a year by 2015.[77]
In May 2011, Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports revealed the Duba
i Airport masterplan. It involves the construction of Concourse D (previously Te
rminal 4). With a capacity of 15 million, it would bring the total capacity of t
he airport to 90 million passengers by 2018 an increase of 15 million. It also w
ill see Emirates take over the operation at Concourse C, along with concourse A
and B which it will already be operating. All remaining airlines will shift to C
oncourse D, or move to Al Maktoum International Airport. The airport projects th
at international passenger and cargo traffic will increase at an average annual
growth rate of 7.2% and 6.7% respectively, and that by 2020 passenger numbers at
Dubai International Airport will reach 98.5 million and cargo volumes will top
4.1 million tonnes.[78]
Concourse D will have a capacity of 15 million passengers, include 17 gates and
will be connected to Terminal 1 via an automated people mover.[79] On 6 February
2016, members of the public were invited to trial the concourse in preparation
for its opening. On Wednesday, 24 February 2016, Concourse D officially opened w
ith the first British Airways flight arriving at gate D8.[80]
Terminal 2[edit]
FlyDubai aircraft parked at Terminal 2 aircraft stands
Terminal 2 built in 1998 has an area of 47,000 m2 (510,000 sq ft) and has a capa
city of 10 million as of 2013, after several, decent reconstructions and a major
expansion in 2012 which saw capacity double. It is used by over 50 airlines, ma
inly operating in the Persian Gulf region. Most flights operate to India, Saudi
Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In June 2009, Terminal 2 became the hub of Air India Express and Flydubai,[81] a
nd the terminal houses the airline's corporate head office.[82]
Terminal 2 has undergone a major refurbishment recently, extending check-in and
boarding facilities, changing the interior and exterior dcor, and offering more d
ining choices to passengers. Capacity was increased to allow for 10 million pass
engers, an increase of 5 million.[83]
The terminal has now increased the number of facilities available to passengers.
Check-in counters have increased to 37.The boarding area is more spacious, with
more natural light. Also the new open boarding gates allow several flights to b
oard simultaneously, improving passenger and aircraft movements. There are a tot
al of 43 remote stands at the terminal. However passengers cannot move between T
erminal 2 to 1 or from 2 to 3 and vice verse inside the airport. They have to ma
ke use of Taxi service or public transport available outside.
The Dubai duty-free shopping area covers 2,400 m2 (26,000 sq ft) in departures a
nd 540 m2 (5,800 sq ft) in arrivals.[citation needed] The 3,600 m2 (39,000 sq ft
) extension included a larger arrivals hall as well.
Terminal 3[edit]
Main article: Dubai International Terminal 3
The Departures area of Terminal 3, with the arrivals area located underground. T
he metro station and lines can be also be seen
The baggage claim area in Terminal 3
The partly underground Terminal 3 was built at a cost of US$8 billion, exclusive
ly for Emirates and has a capacity of 65 million passengers. The terminal has 20
Airbus A380 gates at Concourse A and 5 at Concourse B and 2 at Concourse C.[84]
It was announced on 6 September 2012 that Terminal 3 would no longer be Emirate
s exclusive, as Emirates and Qantas had set up an extensive code sharing agreeme
nt. Qantas would be the second and only one of two airlines to fly in and out of
Terminal 3. This deal also allows Qantas to use the A380 dedicated concourse.[8
5]
Upon completion, Terminal 3 was the largest building in the world by floor space
, with over 1,713,000 m2 (18,440,000 sq ft) of space, capable of handling 60 mil
lion passengers in a year. A large part is located under the taxiway area and is
directly connected to Concourse B: the departure and arrival halls in the new s
tructure are 10 m (33 ft) beneath the airport's apron. Concourse A is connected
to the terminal via an APM.[86][87] It has been operational since 14 October 200
8, and opened in four phases to avoid collapse of baggage handling and other IT
systems.
The building includes a multi level underground structure, first and business cl
ass lounges, restaurants, 180 check-in counters and 2,600 car-parking spaces. Th
e terminal offers more than double the previous retail area of concourse C, by a
dding about 4,800 m2 (52,000 sq ft) and Concourse B's 10,700 m2 (115,000 sq ft)
of shopping facilities.[88]
In arrivals, the terminal contains 72 immigration counters and 14 baggage carous
els.[89][90] The baggage handling system the largest system and also the deepest
in the world has a capacity to handle 8,000 bags per hour. The system includes
21 screening injection points, 49 make-up carousels, 90 km (56 mi) of conveyor b
elts capable of handling 15,000 items per hour at a speed of 27 km/h (17 mph) an
d 4,500 early baggage storage positions.[91]
Concourse A
Concourse A part of Terminal 3, openend January 2, 2013,[92] has a capacity of 1
9 million passengers and is connected to the two major public levels of Terminal
3 via an automated people mover (APM) in addition to the vehicular and baggage
handling system utility tunnels for further transfer. The concourse opened on 2
January 2013 and was built at a cost of US$3.3 billion.[93] The building, which
follows the characteristic shape of Concourse B, 924 m (3,031 ft) long, 91 m (29
9 ft) wide and 40 m (130 ft) high in the centre from the apron level and accommo
dates 20 air bridge gates, of which all are capable of handling the Airbus A380-
800.[94][95] There are also 6 remote lounges for passengers departing on flights
parked at 13 remote stands. The gates in concourse A are labelled A1- A24.[37][
96]
The concourse includes one 4 star hotel and one 5 star hotel, first and business
class lounges, and duty-free areas. The total built-up area is 540,000 m2 (5,80
0,000 sq ft).[97] The concourse allows for multi-level boarding and boasts the l
argest first and business class lounges in the world. Each lounge has its own de
dicated floor offering direct aircraft access from the lounges.[98] The total am
ount of retail space at the concourse is 11,000 m2 (120,000 sq ft), and there is
also a total of 14 cafe's and restaurants.

The exterior of the fully capable Airbus A380 concourse A.

The automated people mover which connects concourse A with Terminal 3.

The total retail area in the concourse is approximately 11,000 m2 (120,000 sq ft

).[99]

Part of the duty-free area in concourse A.

Water salute for the Qantas inaugural flight to Dubai parking at Concourse A

The waterfall in Concourse A

Concourse B
Concourse B is directly connected to terminal 3 and is dedicated exclusively to
Emirates. The total built up area of the concourse itself is 675,000 m2 (7,270,0
00 sq ft). The concourse is 945 m (3,100 ft) long, 90.8 m (298 ft) wide (at midp
oint) and 49.5 m (162 ft) high. The terminal has 10 floors (4 basements, a groun
d floor and 5 above floors). The building currently includes a multi-level struc
ture for departures and arrivals and includes 32 gates, labelled B1- B32.[37] Th
e concourse has 26 air bridge gates and 5 boarding lounges for 14 remote stands
that are for Airbus A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft only. For transit passengers th
e concourse has 3 transfer areas and 62 transfer desks.[100]
The concourse also includes the Emirates first and Business class lounges, and t
he Marhaba lounge. The First class lounge has a capacity of 1,800 passengers and
a total area of 12,600 m2 (136,000 sq ft). The Business class lounge has a capa
city of 3,000 passengers and a total area of 13,500 m2 (145,000 sq ft). The Marh
aba lounge, the smallest lounge at the concourse has a capacity of 300 passenger
s at a time.[101]
The total retail area at the concourse is 120,000 m2 (1,300,000 sq ft), which al
so includes 18 restaurants within the food court. There are also 3 hotels in the
concourse; a 5 star hotel and a 4 star hotel.[102]
There is a direct connection to Sheikh Rashid Terminal (Concourse C) located at
the control tower structure through passenger walkways. There is also a 300-room
hotel and health club including both five and four star rooms. Concourse B incl
udes five aerobridges that are capable of handling the new Airbus A380.[103] Emi
rates Airline continues to maintain a presence in Concourse C, operating 12 gate
s at the concourse as well as the Emirates First Class and Business Class Lounge
s.[104]

The exterior of Concourse B

The Interior of concourse B

Dubai Duty Free in concourse B

The hotel located on the top floor and part of the indoor garden in concourse B

Gates at Concourse B
Concourse C
Concourse C, is a part of Terminal 3, was opened in 2000 and used to be the larg
est concourse at Dubai International Airport before Concourse B in Terminal 3 op
ened. It incorporates 50 gates, including 28 air bridges and 22 remote gates loc
ated at a lower level of the terminal. The gates are labelled C1 C50.[37]
The concourse includes over 17 food and beverage cafes and restaurants, with the
food court being located on the Departures Level. Also located in the concourse
is a 5 star hotel and a 5,400 m2 (58,000 sq ft) duty-free shopping facility. Ot
her facilities include prayer rooms and a medical centre. Concourse C became par
t of Terminal 3 in 2016 after concourse D opened.
Al Majalis VIP Pavilion and Dubai Executive Flight Terminal[edit]
Dubai Royal Air Wing is the main airline operating from the VIP Pavilion
The AL Majalis VIP pavilion, was exclusively built for the Dubai Royal Air Wing
and opened on 1 July 2008. The entire facility is a 3,400 m2 (37,000 sq ft) term
inal, and includes a Royal Majlis and an antenna farm. It also includes eight ai
rcraft hangars with a total built up area of 69,598 m2 (749,150 sq ft) and maint
enance hangars for Boeing 747s and Airbus A380s, and a 1,200 m2 (13,000 sq ft) g
atehouse for VIP service.[44] In 2010 there were 47,213 customers, 13,162 moveme
nts and in 2009, there were a total of 43,968 customers and 14,896 movements.[10
5]
Executive Flight Services (EFS) caters to those passengers of high class or spec
ial importance that travel through Dubai International Airports. It is the large
st dedicated business aviation terminal of its kind in the Middle East. It is lo
cated at the Dubai Airport Free Zone close to Dubai International's Terminal 2.
It only caters to private flights exclusive to the terminal. Airlines operating
from the terminal are expected to maintain a lounge. In 2010 EFS handled 7,889 a
ircraft movements and 25,177 passengers.[106]
The centre itself is located close to Terminal 2, and includes a 5,500 m2 (59,00
0 sq ft) two-storey main building, a 3,700 m2 (40,000 sq ft) hangar, a 3,700 m2
(40,000 sq ft) ramp area for aircraft parking and a special VIP car park for lon
g term parking. The centre also has its own immigration and customs sections, it
s own Dubai Duty Free outlet, a fully equipped business and conference centre, e
ight luxury private lounges and a limousine service between aircraft and the ter
minal.[citation needed] The ramp area of the terminal can accommodate up to 22 s
mall sized private jets, between 8 and 12 medium-sized jets or up to 4 large siz
ed jets such as a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), the Boeing 727 or the Airbus A319.
The facility makes EFC the largest dedicated business aviation terminal in the M
iddle East.
Cargo Mega Terminal[edit]
Qatar Airways Cargo Airbus A330-200F taking off from DXB, with a British Airways
Boeing 777-200, Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and Emirates Boeing 777-200LR in the
foreground
Aircraft stands at the Cargo Terminal
The cargo village at Dubai International Airport is one of the world's largest a
nd most central cargo hubs, with most of the cargo for Asia and Africa coming th
rough the facility. Forecasts in 2004 for cargo growth predicted that additional
major cargo handling facilities were needed to satisfy demands. Plans were put
in place to construct the first stage of the cargo mega terminal, which by 2018
will have the ability to handle three million tons of freight.[107] Phase 1 of t
he cargo mega terminal was completed by 2004 and the next phase of expansion was
scheduled for completion in late 2007. Presently the airport has a cargo capaci
ty of 2.5 million tonnes, and will be expanded to handle 3 million.[108]
Flower centre[edit]
Dubai airport has constructed a flower centre to handle flower imports and expor
ts, as Dubai is a major hub for the import and export of flowers and the airport
required a specialist facility since these products need special conditions.[10
9] The flower centre's first phase was completed in 2004 at a cost of $50 millio
n.[110]
The flower centre is not yet finished and construction will continue in another
two phases. The centre will offer an enhanced level of automation over a five to
seven-year period for processing flower products. It will begin with a semi-aut
omated system with manual sorting before eventually becoming fully automated.
The centre when completed and functioning will have a floor area of approximatel
y 100,000 m2 including different export chambers and offices. The handling capac
ity of the centre is expected to be more than 300,000 tonnes of product throughp
ut per annum. The entire facility (with the exception of the offices) will be ma
intained at an ambient temperature of just 2 to 4 C (36 to 39 F).[111]
Runways[edit]
Aircraft taxiing to runway 12L/30R
Dubai Airport has two closely spaced parallel runways, 12R/30L is 4,450 m 60 m (
14,600 ft 200 ft), 12L/30R is 4,000 m 60 m (13,120 ft 200 ft). The gap between t
he centrelines of the two runways is 385m.The runways are equipped with four set
s of ILS to guide landing aircraft safely under very poor weather conditions. Th
e runways were expanded to accommodate the Airbus A380 which came into service i
n 2007.[26] In 2009, it was announced that the airport installed a Category III
landing system, allowing planes to land in low visibility conditions, such as fo
g. This system will be the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2013 Dubai Airports announced an 80-day runway refurbishment program which st
arted on 1 May 2014 and was completed on 21 July 2014. The northern runway was r
esurfaced while lighting upgrades and additional taxiways were built on the sout
hern runway to help boost its capacity. The southern runway was closed from 1 Ma
y to 31 May 2014, while the northern runway was closed from 31 May to 20 July 20
14. Due to extra congestion on one runway, all freighter, charter and general av
iation flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport.[112][113] Flig
hts at DXB were reduced by 26 percent and 14 airlines moved to Al Maktoum Intern
ational Airport whilst the runways works were being done. Emirates cut 5000 flig
hts and grounded over 20 aircraft during the period.[114]
Accommodating the Airbus A380[edit]
With Dubai-based Emirates being one of the launch customers for the Airbus A380
and also the largest customer, Dubai Airport needed to expand its existing facil
ities to accommodate the very large aircraft. The Department of Civil Aviation s
pent $120 million in upgrading both of its terminals and airport infrastructure,
including enlarged gate holdrooms, new finger piers, an enlarged runway, new ai
rbridges and extended baggage belt carousels from the normal 70 to 90 m (230 to
300 ft). Dubai Airport also invested $3.5 billion into a new Concourse A, exclus
ively for handling Emirates A380s. With the changes made, the airport does not e
xpect embarking and disembarking passengers and baggage from the A380 to take lo
nger than it does for Boeing 747-400s, which carry fewer passengers. On 16 July
2008, Dubai Airport unveiled the first of two specially-built gates capable of h
andling the aircraft. Costing $10 million, the gates will enable passengers to g
et on the upper cabin of the new 555-seater aircraft directly from the gate hold
rooms. The hold rooms themselves have been enlarged to cater for the larger num
ber of passengers flying the A380s. In addition to the two gates at Terminal 1,
five more A380-capable gates were opened at concourse B on 14 October 2008. Conc
ourse A opened on 2 January 2013.[115]
Labor controversy[edit]
Most of the staff employed at construction sites across the country are foreign
short-term workers from neighboring poorer Arab states, India and South-East Asi
a. This is because generally many UAE locals prefer to work in government compan
ies, instead of private firms or blue collar jobs[116] Workers building a new te
rminal at Dubai International Airport went on strike in sympathy.[117] Another s
trike took place in October 2007. 4,000 strikers were arrested. Most of them wer
e released some days later and those who were not local were then deported from
Dubai.
Airlines and destinations[edit]
Passenger[edit]
Airlines Destinations Terminal/Concourse
Aeroflot Moscow Sheremetyevo 1D
Aeroflot
operated by Rossiya Moscow Vnukovo 1D
African Express Airways Berbera, Hargeisa, Mogadishu, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta, Wajir
2F
Air Algrie Algiers 1D
Air Astana Almaty, Astana 1D
Airblue Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan 1D
Air Canada Toronto Pearson 1D
Air China Beijing Capital, Chongqing 1D
Air France Paris Charles de Gaulle 1D
Air India Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mum
bai, Visakhapatnam 1D
Air India Express Amritsar, Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mang
alore, Mumbai, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli 2F
Air Kyrgyzstan Bishkek 2F
Ariana Afghan Airlines Kabul, Kandahar 2F
AZALJet Baku 1D
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Chittagong, Dhaka 1D
British Airways London Heathrow 1D
Caspian Airlines Ahwaz, Tabriz, Tehran Imam Khomeini 2F
Cathay Pacific Bahrain, Hong Kong 1D
Cebu Pacific Manila 1D
China Eastern Airlines Kunming, Shanghai Pudong 1D
China Southern Airlines Guangzhou, Shenzhen, rmqi, Wuhan 1D
Daallo Airlines Djibouti, Hargeisa, Mogadishu 1D
EgyptAir Alexandria El Nouzha, Cairo 1D
Emirates Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Adelaide, Ahmedabad, Algiers, Amman Q
ueen Alia, Amsterdam, Athens, Auckland, Baghdad, Bahrain, Bangalore, Bangkok Suvar
nabhumi, Barcelona, Basra, Beijing Capital, Beirut, Birmingham, Bologna, Boston, B
risbane, Brussels, Budapest, Buenos Aires Ezeiza, Cairo, Cape Town, Casablanca, Ce
bu, Chennai, Chicago O'Hare, Christchurch, Clark, Colombo, Conakry, Copenhagen, Da
kar, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dammam, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, Denpasar, Dhaka, Doha, Dub
lin, Durban, Dsseldorf, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Geneva, Glasgow, Guangzhou, H
amburg, Hanoi, Harare, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Houston Intercontinental, Hyde
rabad, Islamabad, Istanbul Atatrk, Jakarta Soekarno Hatta, Jeddah, Johannesburg O.R. Tamb
o, Kabul, Karachi, Khartoum, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Kampala, Kuala Lumpur Inte
rnational, Kuwait, Lagos, Lahore, Larnaca, Lisbon, London Gatwick, London Heathrow,
Los Angeles, Luanda, Lusaka, Lyon, Madrid, Mah, Mal, Malta, Manchester, Manila, Ma
shhad, Mauritius, Medina, Melbourne, Milan Malpensa, Moscow Domodedovo, Multan, Mumb
ai, Munich, Muscat, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta, New York-JFK, Newark, Newcastle upon Ty
ne, Nice, Orlando, Osaka Kansai, Oslo Gardermoen, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Pesh
awar, Phuket, Phnom Penh (begins 1 July 2017),[118] Prague, Rio de Janeiro Galeo, R
iyadh, Rome Fiumicino, Saint Petersburg, San Francisco, So Paulo Guarulhos, Seattle/T
acoma, Seoul Incheon, Shanghai Pudong, Sialkot, Singapore, Stockholm Arlanda, Sydney,
Taipei Taoyuan, Tehran Imam Khomeini, Thiruvananthapuram, Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita, To
ronto Pearson, Tunis, Venice, Vienna, Warsaw Chopin, Washington Dulles, Yangon, Yinchu
an, Zhengzhou, Zagreb (begins 1 June 2017),[119] Zrich 3A, 3B, 3C
Enter Air Seasonal: Katowice, Warsaw Chopin 1D
Eritrean Airlines Asmara 2F
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa 1D
Euro-Asia Air Atyrau 2F
Finnair Seasonal: Goa (ends 23 April 2017),[120] Helsinki 1D
flydubai Abha, Addis Ababa, Ahmedabad, Ahvaz (ends 12 April 2017),[121] A
lexandria Borg el Arab, Almaty, Amman Queen Alia, Arar, Ashgabat, Asmara, Astana, Ba
ghdad, Bahrain, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Basra, Beirut, Belgrade,
Bishkek, Bratislava, Bucharest Otopeni, Chennai, Chittagong, Colombo, Dammam, Dar
es Salaam, Delhi, Dhaka, Djibouti, Doha, Dushanbe, Entebbe, Erbil, Faisalabad,
Gassim, Ha'il, Hambantota, Hargeisa, Hyderabad, Isfahan, Istanbul Sabiha Gken, Jizan
, Jeddah, Juba, Kabul, Karachi, Kathmandu, Kazan, Khartoum, Kiev Zhulyany, Kochi,
Krasnodar, Kuwait, Lar, Lucknow, Mal, Mashhad, Medina, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow Vnuk
ovo, Multan, Mumbai, Muscat, Najaf, Odessa, Podgorica, Port Sudan, Prague, Quett
a, Riyadh, Rostov-on-Don, Sakakah, Salalah, Samara, Sarajevo, Shiraz, Sialkot, S
kopje, Sofia, Sylhet,[122] Tabriz, Tabuk, Ta'if, Tbilisi, Tehran Imam Khomeini, Th
iruvananthapuram, Yanbu, Yekaterinburg, Yerevan, Zagreb, Zanzibar
Seasonal: Batumi (begins 22 June 2017),[123] Qabala (begins 22 June 2017),[124]
Tivat (begins 23 June 2017)[125] 2F
Flynas Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh 1D
Gryphon Airlines Bagram, Kandahar, Kuwait, Ras al Khaimah 2F
Gulf Air Bahrain 1D
IndiGo Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumb
ai, Thiruvananthapuram 1D
Iran Air Bandar Abbas, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran Imam Khomeini 1D
Iran Aseman Airlines Abadan, Bandar Abbas, Bandar Lengeh, Bushehr, Gheshm, Ke
rmanshah, Lar, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tehran Imam Khomeini, Zahedan 2F
Iraqi Airways Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, Najaf 1D
Jazeera Airways Kuwait 1D
Jet Airways Delhi, Kochi, Mangalore, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram 1D
Jordan Aviation Amman Queen Alia, Aqaba 1D
Jubba Airways Basaso,[126] Djibouti, Hargeisa, Mogadishu 2F
Kam Air Kabul 1D
Kenya Airways Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta 1D
Kish Air Isfahan, Kish, Qeshm, Tabriz 2F
KLM Amsterdam 1D
Korean Air Seoul Incheon 1D
Kuwait Airways Kuwait 1D
Lufthansa Frankfurt 1D
Mahan Air Shiraz, Tehran Imam Khomeini 1D
Middle East Airlines Beirut 1D
Nepal Airlines Kathmandu 1D
Norwegian Air Shuttle Seasonal: Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm Arlanda 1D
Oman Air Muscat, Salalah 1D
Pakistan International Airlines Dera Ghazi Khan, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Pes
hawar, Quetta 1D
Pegasus Airlines Istanbul Sabiha Gken 2F
Philippine Airlines Jeddah, Kuwait, Manila 1D
Primera Air Gothenburg Landvetter, Malm 1D
Qantas London Heathrow, Melbourne, Sydney 3A
Qatar Airways Doha 1D
Qeshm Airlines Isfahan, Sari, Qeshm, Tehran Imam Khomeini 2F
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan, London Heathrow 1D
Royal Jordanian Amman Queen Alia
Seasonal: Aqaba 1D
RwandAir Kigali, Mombasa 1D
S7 Airlines Novosibirsk 1D
Safi Airways Bagram, Kabul 1D
Saudia Dammam, Gassim, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh 1D
Shaheen Air International Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan
1D
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu, Yinchuan 1D
Singapore Airlines Singapore 1D
SmartWings
operated by Travel Service Airlines Ostrava, Prague 2F
Somon Air Dushanbe, Jeddah 1D
SpiceJet Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Madurai, M
angalore, Mumbai, Pune 1D
SriLankan Airlines Colombo 1D
Swiss International Air Lines Muscat, Zrich 1D
Taban Air Isfahan, Mashhad 2F
Thai Airways Bangkok Suvarnabhumi 1D
Transavia Seasonal: Amsterdam 2F
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Atatrk, Istanbul Sabiha Gken 1D
Turkmenistan Airlines Ashgabat 1D
Ukraine International Airlines Kiev Boryspil 1D
Ural Airlines Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg
Seasonal: Moscow Domodedovo, Samara 1D
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent 1D
Virgin Atlantic London Heathrow 1D
Yamal Airlines Seasonal: Tyumen 1D
Notes
^1 Biman Bangladesh Airlines' flight from Dubai to Dhaka makes a stop at Sylhet.
However, the flight from Dhaka to Dubai is non-stop.
Cargo[edit]
See also Al Maktoum International Airport
Airlines Destinations
Air France Cargo Paris Charles de Gaulle
ASL Airlines Belgium Delhi, Liege
Atlas Air
operated by Emirates SkyCargo Adelaide
Cargolux Hong Kong, Komatsu, Luxembourg
Coyne Airways Baghdad, Bagram, Balad, Djibouti, Erbil, Kabul, Kandahar, Sana'a
DHL Aviation
operated by AeroLogic Leipzig/Halle
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
FedEx Express Athens, Bangalore, Chengdu, Delhi, Goa, Hong Kong, Milan Malpensa,
Mumbai, Paris Charles de Gaulle
FitsAir Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Bagram, Balad, Colombo, Erbil, Herat, Jalalabad, Kab
ul, Kandahar, Lashkar Gah, Sharana, Sulaymaniyah, Tarin Kowt, Thumrait
Iran Air Cargo Tehran Imam Khomeini
Polar Air Cargo Seoul Incheon
Royal Airlines Karachi
Royal Jordanian Cargo Amman Queen Alia
SAS Cargo Group Gothenburg Landvetter
Shaheen Air International Cargo Karachi
Silk Way Airlines Baku
Star Air Aviation Karachi
TAROM Bucharest
TCS Couriers Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad
UPS Airlines Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Clark, Cologne/Bonn, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, M
umbai, Singapore, Sydney
Services[edit]
Aviation services[edit]
The Emirates Flight Catering centre which was expanded in 2007, is capable of pr
oducing 115,000 meals per day[127]
Emirates Aircraft Hangars
Ground handling[edit]
Ground handling services at Dubai International Airport has been provided by Dna
ta Ground Handling Services. Emirates Airlines is handled by its own 2000+ stron
g Airport Services department .[128]
Services include cargo ramp and technical support services to airlines at Dubai
Airport.[129]
Aircraft maintenance[edit]
Emirates Engineering, based in Dubai, operates the aircraft maintenance and engi
ne test cell technical facilities at the airport. Emirates Engineering currently
provides full support for the Emirates Airline fleet and all the other internat
ional operations at the airport.[130]
Current facilities include:[131][132]
Seven aircraft hangars all capable of handling the A380 (currently the largest a
ircraft hangar in the world)[133]
Aircraft painting hangar
Aircraft processing plant
Aircraft engine run-up facility enclosure
Engineering Line Maintenance facility
Engine Test Cell
Aircraft spare parts stores
Passenger services[edit]
The airport has over 26,000 m2 (280,000 sq ft) of retail space spread between it
s three main terminals and includes many shopping and eating outlets.[134] The D
ubai duty-free shopping area in Terminal 2 covers 1,400 m2 (15,000 sq ft) in dep
artures and 50 m2 (540 sq ft) arrivals. The 3,437 m2 (37,000 sq ft) extension in
cluded a larger arrivals hall as well.
Extensive upgrading work on existing retail areas since 2004 in Terminals 1 and
2 has increased sales. Dubai Duty Free Company announced annual sales of Dhs5.9
billion (US$1.6 billion) in 2012, representing a 10 per cent increase on the pre
vious year. In 2008, Dubai Duty Free doubled its retail space from 7,000 to 15,0
00 m2 (75,000 to 161,000 sq ft) with the inauguration of the new Emirates Termin
al 3 in October 2008. Dubai Duty Free recorded more than 23.5 million transactio
ns in 2012.[134] As of August 2009, Dubai Duty Free was the biggest single airpo
rt retail operation in the world ahead of London Heathrow and Seoul Incheon airp
orts.
In addition to a wide array of duty-free shops and eating outlets, Dubai Airport
has two open-air garden areas. Dubai Airport has numerous business centres loca
ted around the airport. Within the international transit area of the interconnec
ted Terminals 1 and 2, internet and games facilities, prayer rooms, showers, spa
s, gym, swimming pool and three hotels are provided. Various lounge areas are pr
ovided, some including children's play areas or televisions showing news, movies
and sports channels.[135] Terminal 3 has a left luggage facility operated by Em
irates in the Arrivals area where layover passengers can leave their luggage for
a fee while they go sightseeing.
Safety and security[edit]
E-gate counters at Passport Control
The Civil Aviation Authority of Dubai manages the overall safety and security of
the airport. Pre-screening takes place in all terminals at the entrance of the
airport. Retinal scanning has been implemented in all UAE airports. This type of
scanning prevents those deported from the UAE for serious criminal charges from
returning again using fradulent documents (UAE nationals are exempt from retina
l scans).
In early 2007, Dubai Airport introduced a new type of airport screening device w
hich not only detected weapons, but also could screen the passenger for drugs in
the blood. With the new system in place, travellers entering Dubai can be jaile
d for four years or more if found in possession (including in the bloodstream an
d the bottom of the shoes[136]) of illegal drugs (even in quantities as small as
0.001 g (3.510-5 oz)), including poppy seeds from bagels and prescription and ov
er-the-counter medicines such as codeine.[137] A senior Dubai judge was quoted o
n 11 February 2008, by Seven Days saying, "These laws help discourage anyone fro
m carrying or using drugs. Even if the amount of illegal drugs found on someone
is 0.05 grams, they will be found guilty. The penalty is a minimum four years if
it is for personal use. The message is clear drugs will not be tolerated".[137]
A number of travellers have been held pending charge while Dubai authorities te
st their possessions, blood and urine for any trace of contraband.[138]
Operations[edit]
Busiest International Routes to and from DXB (2015)
Rank Airport Passengers Annual Change Carriers
1 Qatar Doha 2,842,576 Increase19.5% Emirates, Flydubai, Qata
r Airways
2 United Kingdom London Heathrow 2,695,784 Increase8.4% British
Airways, Emirates, Qantas, Royal Brunei, Virgin Atlantic
3 Kuwait Kuwait 2,436,578 Increase21.6% Emirates, Flydubai, Kuwa
it Airways, Philippine Airlines, Jazeera Airways
4 India Mumbai 2,385,976 Increase34.5% Air India, Air India Exp
ress, Emirates, Flydubai, Indigo, Jet Airways, Spicejet
5 Saudi Arabia Jeddah 2,156,798 Increase13.8% Emirates, Flydub
ai, Flynas, Saudia
As all passenger traffic out of the airport is international in nature, the thre
e major terminals in operation are equipped with immigration-processing faciliti
es for international travel.
Since there are international flights operating out from the airport, the termin
als of the airport are equipped with immigration processing facilities and secur
ity scanning for all passengers including domestic, and regional passengers. Ter
minals 1 and 3 handle 95% of the international flights, whilst Terminal 2 mainly
caters to regional flights and international flights routed to other airports i
n Middle East. Emirates Airline operates from only Terminal 3. Conversely, low c
ost carriers such as Flydubai operate flights out of terminal 2.[139]
Passenger growth at the airport has been growing at an average rate of 18%. The
airport reached its capacity of 33 million passengers per annum by 2007, however
this was still not enough to handle the growing over congestion at the airport.
As 2013 the airport's capacity reached 75 million with the opening of concourse
A and expansion of Terminal 2.
Passenger traffic for 2014 grew by 7.5% as 70.48 million passengers passed throu
gh Dubai International, compared to 66.43 million during the corresponding perio
d in 2013.[140] Growth slowed down in 2014 due to the 80 day runway resurfacing
project, which saw DXB operate with only 1 runway between May and July.
In 2014, India was DXB's biggest destination with 8.91 million passengers. The U
K, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan followed with 5.38 million, 4.88 million and 3.13 m
illion respectively. London Heathrow became the top city destination, recording
2,626,357 passengers. Doha followed it with 2,355,959.[141]
Cargo[edit]
The airport handled 2.37 million tonnes of air cargo in 2014, a decrease of 3.1
percent over 2013, making it the 6th-busiest airfreight hub in the world and the
busiest in the Middle East.[3] The decline was due to the runway closure, and t
he shifting of many cargo flights from DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport.
Ground transportation[edit]
Road[edit]
D 89 leading to Dubai Airport
The airport is connected by the road D 89. One of the longest intra-city roads,
D 89 begins at the Deira Corniche and runs perpendicular to D 85 (Baniyas Road).
From Deira, the road progresses south-eastward towards Dubai International Airp
ort, intersecting with E 311 (Emirates Road) past the airport.[142]
Metro[edit]
Main article: Dubai Metro
The airport is served by Dubai Metro, which operates two lines through or near t
he airport. The Red Line has a station at each of Terminal 3 and Terminal 1. Ser
vices run between 6 am and 11 pm every day except Friday, when they run between
1 pm and midnight. These timings differ during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan
. The stations are located in front of both terminals and can be accessed direct
ly from the arrivals areas.
The Green Line has at a station near the Airport Free Zone, from which passenger
s can connect to Terminal 2.[143]
Bus[edit]
Dubai Buses operated by RTA run a number of routes to the city but mainly Deira
and are available at the Airport Ground Transportation centre and the Arrivals a
t every terminal.
Passengers who need to transfer between Terminals 1 and 3, and Terminal 2 can us
e the inter-terminal shuttle bus service which operates frequently.
Bus stations are situated opposite both Terminal 1, 2 and 3. Local buses 4, 11,
15, 33 and 44 can be used to connect with Terminal 1 and 3, while bus 2 connects
with Terminal 2. Dubai International Airport Buses provide air-conditioned tran
sport into the city centre and over 80 hotels in the city.
Emirates offers a complimentary coach service, which operates 3 daily services t
o and from Al Ain, and 4 daily, to and from Abu Dhabi.[144]
Taxi[edit]
The airport is served by the Government owned Dubai Taxi Agency, which provides
24-hour service at the arrivals in every terminal.
Accidents and incidents[edit]
On 14 March 1972, Sterling Airways Flight 296 crashed on approach to Dubai, kill
ing 112.
In November 1974, British Airways Flight 870, a Vickers VC10, from Dubai to Heat
hrow, was hijacked in Dubai, landing at Tripoli for refuelling before flying on
to Tunis. One hostage was murdered before the hijackers eventually surrendered a
fter 84 hours. Captain Jim Futcher was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal, the
Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Founders Medal, the British Air Line Pilo
ts Association Gold Medal and a Certificate of Commendation from British Airways
for his actions during the hijacking, having returned to the aircraft to fly it
knowing the hijackers were on board.[145]
On 28 July 2001, a man named Djamel Beghal was arrested at Dubai International A
irport while transferring from a flight from Pakistan to a flight to Europe.[cit
ation needed] Beghal admitted to UAE interrogators that he was part of the Paris
embassy attack plot. The Al-Qaeda suspect was taken to France, where he recante
d parts of his statement. The plot was dismantled by French, Dutch and Belgian a
uthorities.
Part of the airport's Terminal 3 collapsed on 28 September 2004 during the const
ruction phase.[citation needed] The terminal was designed by Paul Andreu, a Fren
ch architect who also designed Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
On 12 March 2007, the nose gear of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG006 (LHR-D
XB-DAC), an Airbus A310-300, collapsed while the aircraft was accelerating down
the runway.[146] The plane was carrying 236 passengers and crew. Fourteen people
suffered minor injuries in the accident. The aircraft came to rest at the end o
f the runway and was evacuated, but the accident crippled the only active runway
and forced the airport to close for eight hours, affecting 71 flights.[147]
On 3 September 2010, UPS Flight 6, operating a Boeing 747-44AF N571UP crashed sh
ortly after take-off, killing both crew and destroying the aircraft. N571UP was
operating an international cargo flight to Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany.[148]
On 3 August 2016, Emirates Flight 521 from Thiruvananthapuram International Airp
ort, operating a Boeing 777-300 A6-EMW crashed upon landing. All 300 passengers
and crew evacuated safely. However, one airport firefighter died battling the fl
ames.
In media[edit]
In 2013, Dubai International Airport was featured in a 10-part documentary serie
s called Ultimate Airport Dubai that aired on the National Geographic Channel an
d was produced by Arrow Media and National Geographic Channels International. Th
e documentary focused on the everyday operations of the airport.[149][150] The s
eries returned for a second season in 2014 and a third season in 2015.[151]