Dubai Airports completes DXB’s northern runway project on time
Dubai Airports northern runway project was completed in preparation for the peak travel season.
On June 22, an Emirates A380 bound for Amman, Jordan, was the first aircraft to depart from the new runway and shortly after, an Emirates A380 arriving from Sydney, Australia, touched down, marking the official reopening of DXB’s northern runway and return to operations ahead of the busy summer travel period.
Following a strong start to 2022, with more than 13.6 million travellers passing through DXB in the first quarter, the highly complex engineering project was completed according to the schedule. The project was completed in preparation for the peak travel season, busy summer period, the football World Cup in Qatar, bringing an extra influx of passengers towards the end of the year, and a longer-term growth in the next decade.
Commenting on the announcement, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “The northern runway rehabilitation project was a key strategic move by Dubai Airports and its partners in the aviation community to invest in the infrastructure at DXB and shows our ongoing commitment to passenger care and operational excellence, while enhancing the safety, operational efficiency, and capacity of our airport well into the future.”
Griffiths added, “We are delighted to report that some elements of the project were delivered ahead of schedule, allowing us to fully prepare to a return to dual runway operations at the world’s busiest airport on time. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our teams and service partners supporting us, our state-of-the-art infrastructure will continue to provide the same world-class customer experience for tens of millions of passengers for many years to come.”
A workforce of over 400 engineers and field experts, as well as 3,800 personnel worked around the clock to reconstruct the 4,500-metre central strip of the runway, as well as associated taxiways and graded safety strips. In addition, over 4,230 fully addressable LED airfield lights have been upgraded and reinstalled, along with the latest technology in the Navigational Aid and the Meteorological Equipment (MET) systems, further improving safety and increasing the operational capacity of the northern runaway.
To ensure a seamless traveller experience and provide continuity in customer service while the essential work was being performed, Dubai World Central was reopened and handled more than 1,000 flights per week from multiple international carriers including flydubai, SpiceJet, Indigo, Gulf Air, Air India Express and Qatar Airways during the 45-day transition period.
Meanwhile the Dubai Airports has issued a passenger advisory alerting travellers about Dubai International (DXB) getting exceptionally busy over the next two weeks as a result of schools breaking for summer and the Eid Al Adha holidays.
According to the operator, some 2.4 million passengers are expected to pass through DXB between June 24 and July 4, with average daily traffic reaching 214,000 passengers. July 2nd is expected to be the busiest day with daily traffic exceeding 235,000 passengers. Similar passenger numbers are anticipated at the airport over the Eid Al Adha weekend of July 8 and 9.
While Dubai Airports is working closely with airlines, control authorities, and commercial and service partners to ensure a smooth airport experience for passengers from kerb to boarding gates, the operator has urged travellers to follow a few simple tips to beat the holiday rush: Be aware of the latest travel regulations for the destination you are travelling to and ensure that you have all the necessary documents with the required validity before reaching the airport.
For those travelling with families, children over the age of 12 can use Smart Gates to speed up the passport control process.
If you are flying out of Terminal 1, arrive at the airport no earlier than 3 hours before your departure. Use online check in wherever available to save time.
Those travelling from Terminal 3 can use Emirate’s convenient early and self-service check-in facilities. Weighing luggage at home, checking documents in advance, and being prepared for security checks can save a lot of time at the airport. Use Dubai Metro to get to and from the airport. Metro operating times are extended during Eid holidays.
WAM
