Airport News
Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) has been declared ready for passenger operations. It’s new passenger terminal is set to open on 27 October 2013.
In a letter issued yesterday (16 September) by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the sole regulator of all licensed airfields within the UAE, the authority accepted the implementation process for full passenger operations at the new airport and acknowledged the “hard work and commitment of Dubai Airports in achieving the status of full aerodrome operations”.
“This is a welcomed and critical step forward in the process of preparing DWC for full passenger operations,” said Jamal Zaal, vice president of airside operations at Dubai Airports. “We will continue to press ahead with trials that test every system, process and piece of equipment in the new terminal, be it signage, gates or boarding procedures to make sure the new facility is ready to accept passengers on October 27.”
Facility preparations include passenger trails on 12 October 2013, where the passenger journey through the new terminal will be tested by 1,000 members of the travelling public to identify any areas for improvement before the airport opens. An advanced passenger trial using employees will take place in early October as a dress rehearsal for the public trials.
“As was the case with Concourse A trials last year, the support from volunteers has been tremendous which only goes to prove that in Dubai, people are passionate about aviation,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports.
The new passenger terminal building is designed to accommodate five to seven million passengers per year. When completed, DWC will be the largest airport in the world with five runways and capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo.
The GCAA’s regulatory oversight is managed through the cooperation of Dubai Airports Airside Operations staff who work with the GCAA to ensure that all aspects of operations at both Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International are fully compliant with professional international standards and regulations set out in federal law.
