Dubai: Dubai International will be a low cost carrier airport with flydubai as its anchor tenant when Emirates moves in 2024 to Al maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC), said a Dubai aviation industry executive.

Khalifa Al Zafein, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), said flydubai will split its operations between Al Maktoum International and Dubai International over the next decade. The Dubai discount carrier will then move all operations back to Dubai International to make room for Emirates, he said.

Al Zafein’s comments, which came on the sidelines of the Airport Show on Sunday, confirm a report by Bloomberg last week quoting a leaked study that recommended Emirates shift its hub to Al Maktoum International in 2024.

A flydubai spokesperson, however, said that it will be the government’s decision on where the airline operates from, and added that nothing has been finalised.

Al Zafein’s comments come just days after Dubai International closed a runway for maintenance work. Until July 20, a number of airlines, including flydubai, will operate select flights from Al Maktoum International at DWC.

Al Zafein, who is also Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, added said that flydubai will keep some of its operations at DWC after July 20, however, the flydubai spokesperson said this was incorrect. All operations will return to Dubai International from July 21, the spokesperson said.

Final capacity

Dubai International will have a capacity of 90 million passengers by the end of the decade and its city location could make it ideal for low cost carriers and would also provide room to flydubai’s expanding fleet. Last year, flydubai posted an order for up 100 Boeing 737MAX and up to 11 Boeing 737-800s in a deal worth $11.4 billion (Dh41.8 billion).

Al Zafein said that Al Maktoum International will have a final capacity of 220 million passengers a year. It was previously forecast to have 160 million, however, Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports, chief executive, said in a recent interview to Gulf News that it is likely to be higher than the declared figure.

A Dubai Airports spokesperson said that the master plans for Dubai’s two airports had not been finalised and that any announcements will be made by the government.

An Emirates spokesperson stated that any decision for Emirates to move its hub from Dubai International is one for the government to make.