According to the CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths, the airline Flydubai is expected to be the first to move part of its operations to Dubai's new mega-airport, Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). It is planned that five or six aircraft will start moving from Dubai International Airport (DXB) as early as next year.
During an international press briefing organized by the Dubai Media Office, Griffiths explained that the transfer of operations from DXB to DWC will happen gradually over several years, not all at once. He compared this process to how Hong Kong moved its airport from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok in the late 1990s, albeit on a much larger scale.
He noted that while Hong Kong completed this transition in 24 hours, the project in Dubai will take longer, but it will be a phased transition allowing for a smooth move of everyone to DWC.
Griffiths added that the entire idea is related to the fact that DXB's capacity will be exhausted in the coming years. To allow Emirates and flydubai to grow, they will need to utilize the additional capacity available at DWC. He also stated that slots at DXB will gradually become available for further expansion before other airlines begin their own transition.
When the airport reaches its capacity of 150 million passengers, it is planned that all DXB operations will be transferred to DWC. Griffiths clarified that the fully built DWC will eventually have five runways, but only four will be in regular use at any given time, with the fifth serving as a reserve to maintain capacity in case one of the others is taken out of service.
He also mentioned that the second runway at Al Maktoum International Airport will be operational next year. Initially, only two runways will be required to reach the 150 million passenger capacity, after which the third and fourth will need to be built for terminal capacity development. Ultimately, upon completion of the project, the total number of runways will be five, but four will remain in regular use, plus one reserve.