Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Al Maktoum International Airport is located 40km away from the existing Dubai International Airport. It is designed to have a capacity of over 12 million tonnes of cargo a year and 160 million passengers a year. It is capable of handling all new-generation aircraft such as the A380 superjumbo.

The airport construction is part of the Dubai World Central project (DWC). DWC is the Dubai Government's single largest urban land development project. The total airport infrastructure project is to cost AED220bn.

The new airport and its surrounding infrastructure will be completed in phases. The first phase included one runway along with Dubai Logistics City, a multi-modal logistics hub for air, sea and road services.

DWC will start its first phase of operation when DWC-Al Maktoum International Airport opens in June 2010. Dubai Aviation City Corporation integrates DWC and the Dubai Airports Company.

The airport will consist of a number of terminals, five runways, a large area for cargo and two main entrances. The new airport is equipped with various concourses and a 91m-high air traffic control (ATC) tower which is an aviation landmark and the tallest freestanding ATC tower in the Middle East.

The ATC tower is equipped with the latest avionics and navigational aids.

Al Maktoum Airport will encourage hotels and shopping malls, support facilities and state-of-the-art maintenance facilities. This will result in a regional maintenance hub capable of conducting necessary checks on all aircraft, including the A380.

The airport will be linked to Dubai International Airport though an express rail system. For airport parking and car rental services, around 100,000 car parking spaces will be available.

Runway and terminals

The first runway at Jebel Ali in Dubai was completed on schedule in 600 days and registered an aviation record for the fastest A380-enabled 4.5m CAT II runway construction. The AED1bn runway is the first tender to be fully executed within DWC.

The AED100m first passenger terminal catering to low-cost, regional and charter airlines was built by Arabtec / Max Bogl JV, a German joint venture. The first passenger terminal was 80% complete by March 2009 and MEP work was in progress. The terminal will have a capacity of seven million passengers a year.

The construction of the first of the 16 cargo terminals has been completed, in line with the plan of all 16 terminals having a total annual capacity of 12 million tonnes. The cargo terminal has a capacity of 200,000t and is spread over 41,000m² of the built-up area. The terminal's capacity can be extended to 600,000t.

Airport structures

The construction of the ATC tower proves to be another milestone achieved in the process of airport infrastructure development.

The contract for the construction of the ATC tower along with a technical block of 6,000m² was given to Arabtec / Max Boegl JV in February 2007. The project was delayed for a year and was constructed in May 2009.

The first 60m of the tower is built from reinforced concrete, and remaining upper part is made of steel. The tower is clad with aluminium and glazed. The completion of the construction of the ATC tower at Dubai World Central is a big step forward for the region's aviation sector, which has seen consistent growth every year.

An AED278m cargo terminal; AED908m aprons and associated taxiways; AED108 fuel farms; and an AED120m navigational aids package are the other airport structures under construction.