Dubai International Airport is getting a US$1.2 billion upgrade for its Terminals One and Two as more international passengers fly through the airport.
Dubai Airports, which owns and operates Dubai International as well as the newer Al Maktoum International, provided the cost forecast in a release on Wednesday.
Catering to more than 110 international airlines from both terminals, Dubai International’s number of international passenger surpassed that of London Heathrow’s last year.
About 70.47 million travellers passed through the Dubai airport, up 6.1 per cent from 66.43 million in 2013. The number is forecast to reach 79 million passengers this year and 126.5 million in 2020.
Of the investment, Concourse D alone will account for $517 million. When it opens later this year, the concourse will be home to 100 airlines that currently use Terminal One’s Concourse C.
It will feature 21 contact stands, of which four will be able to accommodate double-deck, wide-body Airbus A380s and jumbo Boeing 747 aircraft, and 11 remote stands.
The new area will increase the airport capacity by 18 million passengers, to 90 million annually. It will be linked to Terminal One by an elevated rail system, which is expected to reduce transfer times between the two facilities to two minutes.
Compared to the breezy Terminal Three that caters to Emirates Airline, the crowded Terminal One is also set to be upgraded. Dubai Airports is investing $490m in its refurbishment and in operational areas close to it and Concourse D.
The chaotic drop-off and pickup points in front of the terminal are expected to be upgraded, as is the land-side arrivals, including new food and beverage and retail outlets.
The existing check-in and departure hall is also earmarked for a makeover. A new train station to Concourse D and a refurbished immigration area are also planned.
Terminal Two, which is home to flydubai and other budget carriers, has benefited from an investment of $163m.
It includes a spacious check- in area with 48 counters, an expanded transfer area and 40 more immigration counters.
Three baggage carousels were added to the arrivals area, doubling the numbers to six.
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