The Dubai International Airport, which is pressing ahead with a $2.5 billion expansion, is on course to reach its projected passenger traffic of 15 million this year with the first nine months registering a 12.7 percent growth compared to the same period last year.
The airport recorded traffic of 11.83 million passengers in the first three quarters while cargo movements grew some 23.4 percent to 541,806 tons in the same period, according to senior airport officials. Last year, some 13.5 million passengers passed through the airport, registering 10 percent growth while cargo handling rose 8.6 percent to 632,224 tons.
The phased expansion drive, to be completed by 2006, involves a third terminal with two concourses, a new cargo mega terminal incorporating a flower center which is projected to handle 300,000 tons of flowers representing two percent of the global trade. The cargo terminal will be completed in three phases by 2018.
"With the commissioning of the new expanded facilities, the airport will be able to handle up to 60 million passengers. A brand new airport will be needed once the traffic exceeds that level," said Director of Engineering at the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), Khalifa Al-Zaffin.
Currently over 100 airlines connecting to around 140 destinations worldwide operate out of Dubai International Airport. In the year 2002 alone, eight new airlines started operations. The Department of Civil Aviation is working on attracting even more airlines. At the Routes Conference, DCA representatives met with a number of new airlines to discuss various possibilities. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
