Title: The Evolution of Dubai World Central (DWC): A Work in Progress Towards Becoming the World’s Largest and Busiest Airport
More than a decade has passed since the historic moment when a Wizz Air A320 touched down at Al Maktoum International Airport, marking its status as the first commercial passenger flight to arrive at this ambitious “greenfield” project in Dubai. This new airport, known as Dubai World Central (DWC), was envisioned to be the world’s largest and busiest air hub in the future.
Dubai Airports, the airport authority responsible for managing both Dubai International (DXB) and DWC, asserts that the latter will have the capability to handle more than 160 million passengers per year and 12 million tonnes of freight once completed. To put this into perspective, this represents a significant increase from the current busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International, which handled approximately 63 million fewer travelers in 2022, and nearly 100 million fewer than DXB. It is essential to remember that DXB itself is already the world’s busiest airport outside of the US and Dubai’s primary international gateway.
Despite the passage of ten years and a global pandemic, DWC remains an ongoing project with significant progress being made, though not exactly as initially envisioned. The airport has established itself as a hub for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations, and is home to several air cargo operators such as Emirates Cargo. DWC also accommodates executive jets and some charter flights, but scheduled passenger services are limited to a handful of low-cost carriers primarily serving Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia.
The recent Dubai Air Show, held at DWC in 2023, offered valuable insights into the airport’s future developments and Dubai Airports’ long-term strategy. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, shares that their priority is to expand DXB’s capacity through innovative technology and space reallocation to accommodate an additional 20 million passengers. This expansion will not only cater to near-term growth but also provide more time for planning the phased expansion of DWC, which is projected to reach 86.8 million passengers in 2023, with projections of 88.2 million and 93.8 million for 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Although Griffiths has not confirmed a timeline for DWC’s expansion, he mentioned to the AFP news agency in November 2023 that capacity will eventually be reached, and a new airport will have to be constructed during the 2030s. He expressed his excitement about DWC’s future development, which represents a significant opportunity for Dubai to align with its broader goals and growth plans.
Griffiths revealed at the air show that designs are being produced for DWC’s new mega-airport, but the three-dimensional scale model displayed at the event is already outdated. He also hinted to Business Traveller magazine about a potential modular approach to expand DWC on a timeline stretching into the 2050s. The airport will be the centerpiece of Dubai South, a new city development spanning a 145-square-kilometer desert area south of Dubai. This expansive project includes eight neighborhoods dedicated to specific industries or activities, with residential and commercial areas integrated within.
The real turning point for DWC will come when Emirates and flyDubai, the largest airline in the UAE and its low-cost subsidiary, respectively, relocate from their current home at Dubai International. This move has long been anticipated but remains without a confirmed timeframe.
Nadine Itani, program leader for air transport management at the University of Surrey in England, views Emirates’ shift to DWC as more than just a relocation. She describes it as a strategic realignment in response to the changing dynamics of the global air travel and trade market, with Dubai’s bet on DWC being part of a broader trend in the region to invest in new airport facilities and position capital cities as international trade centers.
The race to claim a significant share of global travel flows and establish regional capitals as tourist destinations has intensified, with airports playing a crucial role in these efforts. The ambitious airport expansion projects in the region include Hamad International Airport in nearby Qatar, Muscat International Airport in Oman, Bahrain International Airport, Abu Dhabi’s new Terminal A, Kuwait International Airport, and Sharjah International Airport.
Saudi Arabia is also investing $100 billion in its 2030 Vision to propel the kingdom’s air connectivity and turn it into one of the world’s top tourist destinations. This includes a new international airline, Riyadh Air, and a gigantic new six-runway airport capable of handling 185 million passengers per year.
The competition to claim the top spot in the global airport league tables is more intense than ever, and these ambitious projects represent significant investments in infrastructure that will shape the future of air travel.
