The emirate of Dubai is gearing itself to become a regional air travel hub, carrying out ambitious airport expansion plans. Anticipating three times more passengers passing through Dubai’s international airport by 2020—some 42 million annually—the Dubai Civil Aviation Department is planning to dig a network of tunnels underneath the airport in a bid to avoid traffic congestion.
The project, which will include the construction of an eight-lane 1.5-kilometer tunnel that will replace Rashidiya Road, is scheduled for completion by year-end 2004. Possible plans for the airport’s expansion include a third new terminal building, a new concourse, another cargo terminal, an extension of the runway and a new Emirates airline building, a Dubai Municipality official told Gulf News.
Dubai International Airport registered 10 percent growth in passengers throughput in 2001, to reach 13.5 million. The Dubai Department of Civil Aviation commenced a $540 million expansion program in 1997, which was completed with the opening of the Sheikh Rashid Terminal in 2000. At present the airport has the capacity to handle 22 million passengers annually.
The Department of Civil Aviation is currently pursuing the second phase of the airport expansion scheme, to which it had allocated some $2.5 billion. Launched in the first quarter of 2002, the expansion is expected to be completed by 2006. This phase will include Terminal 3, Concourse 2 and Concourse 3. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
