Dubai wants to build ‘the largest airport in the world’

The Emirati city-state has started construction of a new terminal at Al-Maktoum Airport, which will become the “largest airport in the world”.

Dubai announced on Sunday the construction of a new passenger terminal at Al-Maktoum Airport, which is expected to become the “world’s largest airport”, at a cost of more than $34.8 billion. “We have approved plans for the new passenger terminal at Al-Maktoum International Airport, and the start of construction of the building worth 128 billion dirhams. [environ 34,85 milliards de dollars]Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, said on X.

Five times bigger

When fully operational, this airport will be “the largest in the world”, with a capacity of 260 million passengers per year, he said, adding that this new airport will be five times larger than Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. world. According to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and CEO of Emirates, the emirate’s airline, the first phase of the project will be completed within ten years and “could accommodate 150 million passengers per year”.

Located on the outskirts of Dubai, Al-Maktoum Airport has been hosting a small portion of the wealthy Gulf emirate’s air traffic since 2010. Calls are made on Dubai Airport (DXB), whose maximum capacity is 120 million passengers and whose location in the center of the city-state prevents expansion.