It used to be countries outdoing each other by building the highest skyscrapers. Dubai has already done that, and the stakes have now been moved to having the largest airport. When you have the space (80% of the Emirate is desert), and the cash – AED 128 billion [EUR 32 billion], you’re already ahead of the game. Last week, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects’ designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport. The Airport of the Future is set to become the largest in the world once it is fully operational. It will be able to handle an annual passenger capacity of 260 million, but more interesting for CargoForwarder Global readers is the fact that more than 12 million tons of cargo are the planned handling capability. The airport will eventually cover an area of 70 km², and is being designed with the projected growth for the next 40 years in mind. The first phase should be completed within the next 10 years.
Sheikh Mohammed said: “Al Maktoum International Airport will […] be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, and all operations at Dubai International Airport will be transferred to it in the coming years. The airport will accommodate 400 aircraft gates and feature five parallel runways. New aviation technologies will be employed for the first time in the aviation sector. As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow. It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors. […] Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub, and its new global center.”
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed added: “It is expected that the first phase of the project will be ready within a period of 10 years, with a capacity to accommodate 150 million passengers annually. […] While embracing sustainability, Al Maktoum International will strongly contribute to mitigate environmental emissions, aligning with the UAE’s vision for a sustainably built environment. Its integrated approach is targeted to leverage local resources and climatic conditions achieving exemplary efficiency targets and sustainability goals. AMI aims to achieve a LEED Gold Certification.” There is, however, no mention of SAF in the official communication to date.
