Dubai Airports is set to begin work on a major runway upgrade project at Dubai International as part of its strategy to enhance safety, service and capacity levels.
The project, starting from 1 May, is expected to last for 80 days. The southern runway will be closed from 1 May to 31 May, and the northern runway from 31 May to 20 July.
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In addition to a modernisation of runway lighting and the construction of additional taxiways and rapid exits on the southern runway, the 4,000m-long northern runway will be resurfaced.
Flight movement will decrease by 26% during this period, but the number of flights at Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) is set to increase.
The eight air carriers that currently operate at Dubai International have already reserved their slots to operate in Dubai’s second airport, and more than 300 flights a week are expected to depart from Al Maktoum.
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said: "We have planned this project to optimise capacity while protecting service levels and, in conjunction with constructors Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, airlines and other stakeholders, have deployed all the resources necessary to make it as smooth and seamless as possible.
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By GlobalData"While we regret any inconvenience caused to our airline customers and our passengers, these upgrades are necessary to heighten safety, boost capacity and pave the way for future expansion."
The upgrade and additional taxiway construction will use nearly 800,000 tonnes of aggregates, 11,000 airfield lighting luminaries, 1,050km of cabling, 1,750 new manholes and 8.3km of drainage piping.
Image: Dubai International Terminal 3 departure exterior. Photo: courtesy of Dubai Airports.
