Dubai International Airport to have most A380-capable gates in the world

Dubai Airports is increasing the number of gates at Dubai International Airport (DXB) capable of handling Airbus A380 superjumbos.

The airport operator said it has commissioned a project at Concourse C, which is part of the Emirates Hub at Terminal 3, to increase the number of gates to 13. This will take the total number of A380 gates at DXB to 47 – more than any other airport in the world. Concourse C was developed in 2012 with three A380 gates.

Upgrade works are already under way and the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Dubai Airports did not name the contractor carrying out the work, but it said that Concourse C is being refurbished as part of the works, which will include the redesign and upgrade of gate hold rooms, an increase in the amount of dedicated airline lounge space and other improvements.

The work is part of Dubai Airports’ DXB Plus plan to continue expanding capacity to enable the airport to handle up to 118 million passengers per year. The airport’s current capacity is 90 million per year.

Dubai International’s traffic has been growing strongly in recent years. The airport is now the world’s busiest for international passengers and the third-biggest in terms of total passenger numbers.

This month, it reported record passenger numbers for July of 7,616,792, which was 14 per cent higher than the same month last year. Passenger numbers for the first seven months of 2016 are 7 per cent higher at 44,981,967.

However, there is no more room for infrastructure expansion at its current site, so DXB Plus is aimed at creating ways of growing capacity through design innovation and operational improvements, including the use of new smart technologies.

Dubai Airports is at the same time continuing to grow capa­city at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

In March this year, a contrqct was signed with Al Jaber Engineering&Contracting to expand the passenger terminal at DWC from 66,107 square metres to 145,926 sq metres.

Bryan Thompson, the senior vice president of development at Dubai Airports, said: "Considering the traffic growth at Dubai International and the central role the airport will continue to play for the aviation sector as well as Dubai’s economy over the next 10 years, it is vital that we provide additional capacity while enhancing our customer service.

"We believe this first project under DXB Plus will deliver on both fronts."