'Dubai is world's airport': Sheikh Mohammed marks 10 years of DXB as busiest international hub
DXB has been the world's biggest international airport over the past decade and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said on Thursday that Dubai is "the airport of the world."
"Over the past 10 years, Dubai International Airport welcomed more than 700 million passengers and was the busiest international airport with 3.3 million air movements according to Airports Council International," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"Dubai is the airport of the world and a new world in the aviation sector," he added.
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Over the last 10 years, DXB welcomed 770 million passengers and is the busiest international airport in the world with 3.3 million air movements, according to Airports Council International.
The state-of-the-art facility welcomed a whopping 92 million passengers, last year alone and witnessed 440,000 air movements with 106 airlines and flights to 272 cities in 107 countries around the world.
Apart from DXB, Dubai also has the Al Maktoum International Airport, which had initially opened for cargo operations in 2010 but now includes passenger flights since 2013.
And the aviation landscape in Dubai is set to expand further with a new terminal set to come up at Al Maktoum International Airport.
At an estimated cost Dh128 billion, the expansion will see five parallel runways come up and feature 400 aircraft gates within a total area of 70 square kilometres.
"Over the next 10 years, Dh128 billion will be spent to reshape the international aviation landscape," Sheikh Mohammed said.
The Dubai Ruler had approved the designs for the new passenger terminal in April last year with construction beginning immediately.
Once completed, the Al Maktoum International Airport will be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport. All operations from DXB will gradually be transferred to the Al Maktoum International Airport.
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