Passenger flight traffic at Dubai’s second airport Dubai World Central (DWC) also known as Al Maktoum International Airport is expected to increase by 700% during the runway closure at Dubai International Airport (DXB) from mid-April to 30 May this year.
As DXB southern runway shuts down for extensive repair work for a month and half, it will leave DXB with just 50% of its runways, rerouting certain flights to DWC, which will surge the number of passenger flights departing from and arriving at the airport located in Jebel Ali, 60 km from DXB.
Being able to transfer flights to DWC, will limit the reduction of the number of flights across the Dubai Airport system by just 10% and a seat reduction of just 11%.
During the runway closure period, two charter flights and 16 airlines will operate 158 passenger flights a day from DWC.
Airlines to operate from DWC include flydubai, Wizz Air, Aeroflot, Condor, Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, SpiceJet, Gulf Air, Royal Jordanian, Himalaya Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Salam Air, Mahan Air, flynas, and Azur Air.
Dubai Airports will also have an express bus service operating between DXB and DWC every 30 minutes departing from DXB Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
Emirates has already announced that it will reduce the number of flights it operates by 25 per cent.