DUBAI (AFP) – Dubai is forging ahead with plans to replace the world’s busiest airport with an even bigger one as passenger traffic recovers to outstrip pre-pandemic levels, a top official told AFP yesterday.
Dubai Airport’s Chief Executive Officer Paul Griffiths said designs were being drawn up for Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be built on the city’s outskirts and should replace Dubai International in the 2030s.
He was speaking at the Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates, where airlines have invested heavily in new planes. Last year, neighbouring Saudi Arabia announced plans for a major new air hub in Riyadh.
“Once we’ve reached about 120 million (passengers a year), which is what we think our total capacity at DXB (Dubai International) is at the absolute maximum with everything optimised, we are going to need a new airport,” Griffiths said.
