Dubai World Central International Airport
Encyclopedia
Al Maktoum International Airport is a major airport in Jebel Ali
, Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
that opened on 27 June 2010. Previous working names have included "Jebel Ali International Airport," "Jebel Ali Airport City" and "Dubai World Central International Airport". It will be officially known as Al Maktoum International Airport. It has been named after the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
, the former ruler of Dubai. It will be the main part of Dubai World Central
, a planned residential, commercial and logistics complex scheme. World Central is the world's first truly integrated logistics platform, with most transport modes, logistics and value added services, including manufacturing and assembly, in a single bonded and Free Zone environment
.
Construction of the airport's cargo terminal, the Al Maktoum Airport Cargo Gateway
, which cost around US$75 million, was 50% complete by the end of 2008.
During the first phase of the project, the airport is planned to handle around 200,000 tonne
s of cargo per year, with the possibility of increasing to 800,000 tonnes. The passenger terminal at this phase is designed to have a capacity of around five million passengers per year. By 2013, it is planned to be the largest airport in the world in terms of freight handled, moving up to 12 million tonnes per year.
The project is expected to be fully built-out and operational by 2017, although the 2009 financial crisis may postpone the completion of the complex by 5 years to 2022.
The first flight into the airport occurred on 20 June 2010, when an Emirates SkyCargo
Boeing 777F landed after a flight from Hong Kong. The flight served as a test for various functions such as air traffic control, movement of aircraft on the ground, and security. According to Emirates, the flight was an "unmitigated success."
On 24 February 2011, the airport was certified to handle passenger aircraft with up to 60 passengers, though according to Dubai Airports Company
, Al Maktoum's operator, regular passenger flights were not expected to begin until late 2011.
The first Passenger Aircraft touched down on 28th February 2011, an Airbus A319CJ.
, Aerospace Consortium and European Cargo Services. Fifteen additional airlines have signed a contract to operate flights to the airport.
At the heart of this huge new community is the Al Maktoum International Airport, planned as the world's largest passenger and cargo hub, ten times larger than Dubai International Airport
and Dubai Cargo Village combined.
If completed as planned, the airport will have an annual cargo capacity of 12 million tons, and a passenger capacity of up to 160 million people per year— which would be more than Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
, which handled 90 million people in 2008, and is currently the world's busiest passenger airport.
Designed for the future, Al Maktoum International Airport proposes to handle all next-generation aircraft, including the Airbus A380
super-jumbo. Up to four aircraft will be able to land simultaneously, 24 hours a day, minimizing in-air queuing.
The airport will include:
The airport is planned to have five 4,500m parallel runways, with a large passenger complex in the middle. Three runways would straddle at one side of the complex while two more would be located at the other side. Furthermore, each runway would have extended asphalted pathways on either side which would allow aircraft to by-pass other runways and taxiways without disturbing aircraft movements of these runways and taxiways. The airport is the biggest section/component of Dubai World Central. If fully built it will be the world’s largest capacity for an airport with 120 million passenger/year capacity and a cargo capacity of 12 million tons/year. Its large runways and the distance between would allow simultaneous take-offs and landing
s.
Dubai's expectations of an exponential rise in passenger traffic over its skies is built on the presumption that it would become the ideal air hub for transiting travellers from the Asia-Pacific Region, South Asia, Greater Middle-east, Africa, Europe, and Australia (for the Kangaroo route
--Australia to Europe/Britain and vice versa).
Upon completion it will be the fourth largest air facility in land area (physical size). Only three other air facilities are/were larger than Dubai World Central:
The air complex would, perhaps, become the most Airbus A380
-friendly air facility in the world since all the hard-stand aero bridge gates are capable of accommodating the aircraft, as the master plan model suggests.
The facility, however, will initially service cargo airlines. Several large warehouses and hangars line the westernmost part of the airport. These interlinked warehouses and/or hangars will stretch from end-to-end of the westernmost runway. Each of these warehouses and/or hangars are capable of housing A380 aircraft.
The airport will complement Dubai International Airport
, some 40 km away. The airport itself is surrounded by a large logistics hub, an ultra-luxurious golf resort (with suburban housing interwoven between greens and fairways), an expansive trade and exhibition facility (3 million square metres of exhibition space—would become the world's largest single exhibition site/location/address/destination), a massive commercial district, and a spacious residential/housing district.
Due to the massive physical scale of the masterplan, others would come to claim that Al Maktoum International Airport would be the most ambitious airport project ever envisioned. The latest estimates by the government of Dubai peg the price tag at US$ 82 billion. This aerotropolis
would be US$62 billion more expensive than the next most expensive airport project Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport
Core Project—which cost the Hong Kong
government around US$ 20 billion (in 1997 dollars). This would also make it the most expensive single project in the world, ever (with the possible exceptions of the Dubai Waterfront
, The Palm Deira
, and New Songdo Intelligent City).
Jebel Ali
Jebel Ali is a port town, located 35 kilometres southwest of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates . The village has a thriving expatriate community with over 300 residents. The area is also home to "5,500 companies from 120 countries"....
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
that opened on 27 June 2010. Previous working names have included "Jebel Ali International Airport," "Jebel Ali Airport City" and "Dubai World Central International Airport". It will be officially known as Al Maktoum International Airport. It has been named after the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum , also referred to as Sheikh Maktoum was the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the emir of Dubai.-Biography:...
, the former ruler of Dubai. It will be the main part of Dubai World Central
Dubai World Central
Dubai World Central is the company under which a number of planned projects are being constructed in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. According to the commercial website, the eight project companies that form this brand are:...
, a planned residential, commercial and logistics complex scheme. World Central is the world's first truly integrated logistics platform, with most transport modes, logistics and value added services, including manufacturing and assembly, in a single bonded and Free Zone environment
Free economic zone
Many countries have, or have had at some time, designated areas where companies are taxed very lightly or not at all to encourage development or for some other reason...
.
Construction
The A380 enabled 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) runway was completed within its projected 600 day construction period and subsequently underwent tests and trials over the next six to eight months in order to fulfill its CAT III-C requirements.Construction of the airport's cargo terminal, the Al Maktoum Airport Cargo Gateway
Al Maktoum Airport Cargo Gateway
Dubai Airports Company is currently building a $75 million dollar air freight terminal as an expansion to Dubai World Central International Airport. The new facilities will be named Al Maktoum Airport Cargo Gateway and Al Maktoum International Airport...
, which cost around US$75 million, was 50% complete by the end of 2008.
During the first phase of the project, the airport is planned to handle around 200,000 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s of cargo per year, with the possibility of increasing to 800,000 tonnes. The passenger terminal at this phase is designed to have a capacity of around five million passengers per year. By 2013, it is planned to be the largest airport in the world in terms of freight handled, moving up to 12 million tonnes per year.
The project is expected to be fully built-out and operational by 2017, although the 2009 financial crisis may postpone the completion of the complex by 5 years to 2022.
Operations
Al Maktoum International Airport was opened on 27 June 2010 with one runway only and only cargo flights. Passenger operations are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011.The first flight into the airport occurred on 20 June 2010, when an Emirates SkyCargo
Emirates SkyCargo
Emirates SkyCargo is a cargo airline based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the air freight division of Emirates, which started operations in October 1985, the same year Emirates was formed. Since then it has been the main cargo division of Emirates, and the anchor cargo airline at Dubai...
Boeing 777F landed after a flight from Hong Kong. The flight served as a test for various functions such as air traffic control, movement of aircraft on the ground, and security. According to Emirates, the flight was an "unmitigated success."
On 24 February 2011, the airport was certified to handle passenger aircraft with up to 60 passengers, though according to Dubai Airports Company
Dubai Airports Company
Dubai Airports Company was structured in 2008 to take control of Dubai World Central International Airport in Jebel Ali, Dubai International Airport, and Dubai Cargo Village...
, Al Maktoum's operator, regular passenger flights were not expected to begin until late 2011.
The first Passenger Aircraft touched down on 28th February 2011, an Airbus A319CJ.
Airlines and destinations
At the time of its opening, three cargo service airlines served Al Maktoum International Airport, including RUS AviationRUS Aviation
RUS Aviation is an all cargo airline based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It operates scheduled and charter cargo flights to Afghanistan, Iraq, UAE. Its main base is Sharjah International Airport....
, Aerospace Consortium and European Cargo Services. Fifteen additional airlines have signed a contract to operate flights to the airport.
Cargo Terminal
Overview
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
and Dubai Cargo Village combined.
If completed as planned, the airport will have an annual cargo capacity of 12 million tons, and a passenger capacity of up to 160 million people per year— which would be more than Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield Airport, and Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
, which handled 90 million people in 2008, and is currently the world's busiest passenger airport.
Designed for the future, Al Maktoum International Airport proposes to handle all next-generation aircraft, including the Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
super-jumbo. Up to four aircraft will be able to land simultaneously, 24 hours a day, minimizing in-air queuing.
The airport will include:
- Five parallel runways, 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) in length, each separated by a distance of 800 metres (2,624.7 ft). Six runways were originally planned, but the number was reduced to five in April 2009.
- Three passenger terminals, including two luxury facilities; one dedicated to airlines of The Emirates GroupThe Emirates GroupThe Emirates Group is a public international travel and tourism conglomerate holding company headquartered in Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, by Dubai International Airport. The Emirates Group comprises Dnata, an aviation services company providing ground handling services at 17 airports and...
, the second to other carriers, and the third dedicated to low cost carriers. - Multiple concourses
- 16 cargo terminals with a 12 million ton capacity
- Executive and Royal jet centres
- Hotels and shopping malls
- Support and maintenance facilities: the region's only hub for A, B, and C Checks on all aircraft up to A380 specifications
- Over 100,000 parking spaces (probably undergroundSubterranea (geography)Subterranea refers to underground structures, both natural and man-made . Some subterranea include:* Bunker* Casemate* Catacombs* Caves** Ice caves* Cave dwellings, Cave house* Cave temple* Cellar* Cenote* Dungeon...
) for airport staff and passengers - Al Maktoum International Airport and the existing Dubai International AirportDubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
will be linked by a proposed high speed express rail system - Al Maktoum International Airport will also be served by the Dubai MetroDubai MetroThe Dubai Metro is a driverless, fully automated metro network in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. The Red Line and Green Line are operational, with three further lines are planned. These first two lines run underground in the city centre and on elevated viaducts elsewhere...
and a dedicated Dubai World Central light railway
Facilities
Landing
thumb|A [[Mute Swan]] alighting. Note the ruffled feathers on top of the wings indicate that the swan is flying at the [[Stall |stall]]ing speed...
s.
Dubai's expectations of an exponential rise in passenger traffic over its skies is built on the presumption that it would become the ideal air hub for transiting travellers from the Asia-Pacific Region, South Asia, Greater Middle-east, Africa, Europe, and Australia (for the Kangaroo route
Kangaroo route
The Kangaroo Route traditionally refers to air routes flown by Qantas between the countries of Australia and the United Kingdom, via the Eastern Hemisphere. The term is trademarked by Qantas, although it is used in the media and by airline competitors....
--Australia to Europe/Britain and vice versa).
Upon completion it will be the fourth largest air facility in land area (physical size). Only three other air facilities are/were larger than Dubai World Central:
- King Fahd International AirportKing Fahd International AirportKing Fahd International Airport is located 20 kilometers northwest of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest airport in the world in terms of land area . The airport's basic infrastructure was complete by the end of 1990, which allowed the Allied forces engaged in the first Gulf War in early...
in DammamDammamDammam is the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, the most oil-rich region in the world. The judicial and administrative bodies of the province and several government departments are located in the city. Dammam is the largest city in the Eastern Province and third largest in Saudi...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
(790 square kilometers) - MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Montréal-Mirabel International AirportMontréal-Mirabel International AirportMontréal-Mirabel International Airport, originally called Montréal International Airport and widely known simply as Mirabel is an airport located in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, northwest of Montreal and was opened October 4, 1975...
(392 square kilometers as originally planned in 1969, but as of December 2006, only about 50 square kilometers) - King Khalid International AirportKing Khalid International AirportKing Khalid International Airport is located north of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by the architectural firm HOK.The airport includes the terminals, mosque, the control tower and two parallel runways, each long...
in RiyadhRiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
(225 square kilometers)
The air complex would, perhaps, become the most Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
-friendly air facility in the world since all the hard-stand aero bridge gates are capable of accommodating the aircraft, as the master plan model suggests.
The facility, however, will initially service cargo airlines. Several large warehouses and hangars line the westernmost part of the airport. These interlinked warehouses and/or hangars will stretch from end-to-end of the westernmost runway. Each of these warehouses and/or hangars are capable of housing A380 aircraft.
The airport will complement Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
, some 40 km away. The airport itself is surrounded by a large logistics hub, an ultra-luxurious golf resort (with suburban housing interwoven between greens and fairways), an expansive trade and exhibition facility (3 million square metres of exhibition space—would become the world's largest single exhibition site/location/address/destination), a massive commercial district, and a spacious residential/housing district.
Due to the massive physical scale of the masterplan, others would come to claim that Al Maktoum International Airport would be the most ambitious airport project ever envisioned. The latest estimates by the government of Dubai peg the price tag at US$ 82 billion. This aerotropolis
Aerotropolis
An aerotropolis is an urban form whose layout, infrastructure, and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers, and enterprise partners worldwide. Many of these businesses are much more dependent on distant suppliers or customers than to...
would be US$62 billion more expensive than the next most expensive airport project Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
Core Project—which cost the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
government around US$ 20 billion (in 1997 dollars). This would also make it the most expensive single project in the world, ever (with the possible exceptions of the Dubai Waterfront
Dubai Waterfront
The Dubai Waterfront was expected to become the largest waterfront and largest man-made development in the world. The project is a conglomeration of canals and artificial archipelago; it will occupy the last remaining Persian Gulf coastline of Dubai, the most populous emirate of the United Arab...
, The Palm Deira
Palm Deira
The Palm Deira is an artificial archipelago, part of the Palm Islands, Dubai. It was announced for development in October 2004. The first announced design was 8 times larger than the Palm Jumeirah, and 5 times larger than the Palm Jebel Ali, and was intended to house one million people. Originally,...
, and New Songdo Intelligent City).