Dubai nod for $ 7.8 bn airports expansion plan

DUBAI: Dubai Airports has given the green signal for a $ 7.8 bn (28.8 bn Arab Emirates dirham) airport and airspace expansion programme, which will boost capacity at Dubai International from 60 million to 90 million passengers per year by 2018.

The plan, which was presented to the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this week, is designed to deliver aviation infrastructure which will support the continuation of the sector's growth, facilitate Dubai's economic expansion and generate 22 per cent of total employment and 32 per cent of the emirate's GDP by 2020.

The plan is a response to a 10-year traffic forecast for Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) that projects international passenger and cargo traffic will increase at an average annual growth rate of 7.2 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively.

"The combination of rallying tourism, Dubai's proximity to the emerging economies of India and China, and the emirates' established role as a trading hub, is together expected to drive traffic growth and further elevate Dubai's status as a global centre for aviation," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Chairman of Dubai Airports and President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, said in a statement.

"By 2020, 98.5 million passengers and over four million tonnes of air freight will pass through our airports. The fleets and networks of Emirates and flydubai will grow considerably to accommodate traffic and capture market share. Similarly, our infrastructure must expand to enable this growth and facilitate the trade, tourism and commerce that in turn will support the prosperity of Dubai," he said.

The strategy includes aggressive expansion plans for airspace, airfield, aircraft stands and terminal areas at Dubai International over the remainder of the decade.