Dubai: Dubai's budget carrier Flydubai could soon be moving to Dubai World Central — the Al Maktoum International Airport — from its current home at Dubai International's Terminal 2, according to the carrier's Chairman, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group.
"We are doing a study and are in dialogue with Flydubai to be one of the first [passenger] airlines to start flying out of the Al Maktoum International Airport," he told Gulf News.
When asked how soon flydubai is expected to make the move to the new airport, Shaikh Ahmad said: "I don't have a date yet but we are in the process of studying the possibility of the move. We will be able to say that only once we firm it all up."
He added: "We have a terminal there already that can be opened within three to four months' time."
Future plans
The move, when it takes place, would be in line with accommodating flydubai's fleet and route expansion strategy. The carrier, which currently flies to 43 destinations and is due to receive its 21st aircraft next month, expects 29 planes from its total order of 50 Boeing 737 aircraft to be delivered by 2016. Future plans include buying more aircraft — an intention expressed by its CEO, Gaith Al Gaith, recently.
Meanwhile, commenting on Emirates' move to Al Maktoum International, Shaikh Ahmad said: "With regards to Emirates, it will need its terminal before it can move all its operations to the new airport." He added that it's difficult to attach a timeline for Emirates to move to the new airport facility. "And as you know we are building Terminal 4 here at Dubai International, which will be mainly for all other airlines," he said.
Best options
Asked when all passenger airlines are likely to start taking off from Al Maktoum International, Shaikh Ahmad told Gulf News: "We always try to choose what is the best option for Al Maktoum International. As for signing up with international carriers to start operations from Al Maktoum International, it's not that easy. You can't just order them around. It's not as simple as this. At the end of the day I have customers here I have to please and I cannot discriminate and say one stays here and the other goes to the new airport unless there is logic behind it."
He added that efforts are very much on for moving the general aviation out of Dubai International Airport to the new one. "That's because we see that their best future would be at the Al Maktoum International airport," said Shaikh Ahmad.
Cargo operations at Al Maktoum International, launched in June last year, seems to be growing well, according to Shaikh Ahmad. "I am happy to see the cargo operations doing very well at the new airport," he said. The number [of freighter players] has increased tremendously," he said. "On the freighter side, we are even pushing our own cargo operations at Emirates to move to the new airport as a facility."
