Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, is set to close in the coming decades in a move that could affect millions of UK tourists who flock to the Gulf city each year.
The airport, known as DXB, currently handles more than 90 million passengers annually and is a key gateway for long-haul travel from the UK. But its boss, Paul Griffiths, says all services will eventually be moved to the newer Al Maktoum International Airport — known as DWC — which is undergoing a massive £28 billion expansion.
“There is little sense in operating two major hubs with such close proximity to one another,” he told the Arabian Travel Market conference this week. “We will move every single service to DWC.”
Mr Griffiths explained that DXB, which first opened in 1960, is nearing the end of its lifespan.
“By then, every single asset at DXB will be close to the end of its useful operating role, so the economics of keeping DXB open will not be possible unless we invest a huge amount of money,” he said.
The closure timeline remains unclear, but officials say DWC’s new terminal will open in 2032 and continue expanding through to the 2050s — meaning DXB is likely to stay operational for at least another decade.
Figures suggest Dubai welcomes as many as 6.2 million British visitors a year — roughly 17,000 a day — with UK travellers making up one of its largest tourist groups. Both British Airways and Emirates currently operate flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Mr Griffiths added that the land occupied by DXB would likely be redeveloped once the airport shuts, saying: “DXB will close and we’ll redevelop the area. It will spread the city out.”
DWC has actually been in limited use since 2010, initially for cargo and later for some passenger services, including a small number of EasyJet flights. But it remains little-known to most holidaymakers.
That is set to change. Once complete, Al Maktoum will be five times the size of DXB, with capacity to handle 260 million passengers a year. The new airport will have five runways and up to 400 aircraft gates, making it the largest airport project in the world.
Despite the long-term plans, there’s no need for UK travellers to worry about any disruption to holiday plans — Dubai International will continue to operate as normal for many years to come.
Dubai continues to divide opinion among holidaymakers — regularly topping TripAdvisor’s ‘most popular’ lists while also being branded by some as one of the world’s most overrated destinations.
