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Officials to soon finalise airport transition plans
Aviation officials here are grappling with how to manage the transition of cargo and passenger flights to the new airport at Dubai World Central.
- By Ivan Gale, Staff Reporter
- Published: 19:17 November 10, 2007
- Al Zaffin says deliberations surrounding the transition are 'very intense and involved'.
- Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
Dubai: Aviation officials here are grappling with how to manage the transition of cargo and passenger flights to the new airport at Dubai World Central.
As the massive new facility prepares to open starting next year, existing airlines will have a choice to move to the new Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central or stay at Dubai International.
The massive development plans, which will create an airport large enough to handle 120 million passengers a year, raise questions being debated at the highest levels of government. If passenger traffic at Dubai International will reach 34 million this year, which airlines will set up at World Central to deliver the 120 million passengers a year it is being built for?
Dubai aviation officials say they are still formulating a transfer plan, which may include incentives for certain types of airlines such as freight operators and low-cost carriers to move first.
Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai World Central, called deliberations surrounding the transition plan "very intense and involved."
"We are working on it right now, and we have not formed a definite strategy yet," he said. "But once we do we are going to publish it, probably throughout the year."
So far, Emirates has not said whether it will move all or part of its operations to Dubai World Central. Or it could remain where it is and possibly take over Dubai International.
Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai City of Aviation and chairman and chief executive of Emirates, said his airline had yet to finalizse plans.
"We will maybe let you know the first quarter of 2008," he told Gulf News last Thursday. When he was asked if Emirates has decided on which airport it would use, he said, "No."
Freight operators
It is certain, however, that freight operators will move first, which Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, said was part of a necessary transition.
"There are kinds of traffic that will have to migrate from Dubai International in order to make room for growth," he said.
While some airlines may opt to stay at Dubai International, Griffiths said new airlines will certainly be drawn to World Central's state-of-the-art facilities, which include a hub for budget carriers.
"The key at Dubai World Central is the low cost terminal, which might mean many more low cost carriers coming to Dubai," he said.
Other operators, such as private charter firms, may choose to split their operations between the two. Officials are planning a high-speed rail link between the two airports that will make travel time roughly 35 minutes.
ExecuJet, one of the few private aviation firms with a dedicated fixed base of operation (FBO) at Dubai International, said it plans to open up a second facility at World Central.
"We will have dual operations – there is not much open land at Dubai International," said Mike Berry, managing director. "I think most other operators are looking at network expansion there as well."
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