Dubai starts construction of world’s largest airport
30 April 2024
Digital render of the new terminal for Al Maktoum International Airport (Image: Sheikh Mohammed via X)
Dubai has started construction of a $35 billion airport terminal for Al Maktoum International Airport, which will make it the largest airport in the world.
Announcing the move on X (formerly Twitter), Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed said the airport would have the world’s largest capacity, handling up to 260 million passengers a year and would be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport.
“The airport will accommodate 400 aircraft gates and feature five parallel runways. As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow,” he added.
All operations at Dubai International Airport will transfer to Al Maktoum International Airport over the coming years.
The expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central, has been on the cards for some time. Work on the project started with the substructure of Concourse 1 and the West Terminal building completed in a $2.7 billion package of work but the project then stalled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The airport is in Jebel Ali, 37km southwest of Dubai itself and originally opened in 2010.
