Dubai Airports CEO outlines plans for strategic shift to DWC once DXB nears capacity

Dubai: Dubai’s aviation future is firmly set on Dubai World Central (DWC) – Al Maktoum International Airport, as Dubai International (DXB) approaches its operational limits. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, has confirmed that the complete transition of operations to DWC is not just a plan, but a necessity, with a firm target set for 2032.

"The DWC Al Maktoum International project is absolutely essential for our growth," Griffiths stated, underscoring the strategic imperative behind the move. "There will come a point where we outgrow DXB, and in 2032, we must make that move to DWC, Al Maktoum International."

Griffiths noted that, despite continuous improvements in systems, technology, and infrastructure, DXB can only stretch its capacity so far. "We think when we get to about 110-115 million, we've really stretched the envelope of what DXB is capable of achieving," he explained.

DXB, currently the world’s busiest airport for international passengers, is projected to reach its maximum capacity at around 110-115 million passengers.

While the complete transition is slated for 2032, Dubai Airports is already actively encouraging a phased migration. DWC’s existing terminal has seen "quite strong growth," with a remarkable 36.4 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger traffic in the first half, alongside a 23 per cent rise in overall flights, totalling 28,800 flights, according to Griffiths. Airlines are showing significant interest, opting for DWC when ideal slot timings at DXB become unavailable.

The long-term vision for DWC is monumental. It is planned to become the world's largest airport, featuring five parallel runways and an ultimate capacity to handle 260 million passengers annually.

He added, “It is very important for us to give DXB a little bit of a break in terms of migrating some of the traffic. And obviously, we are in discussions with our airlines about which would be the right transition strategy for them.”

When pressed for timelines, Griffiths said, “There is no point in pushing airlines to DWC when we still have space at DXB. So, it is approximately every six months, as we do at DXB, where we look at slot availability, and airlines have a choice. If they can’t get their ideal slot timings at DXB, then there is always the DWC option.”

Discussions are actively underway with airlines to determine the most suitable transition strategies. Griffiths emphasised that there's no immediate push for airlines to move if DXB still has available slots. Instead, airlines are presented with a choice: "If they can't get their ideal slot timings at DXB, then there's always the DWC option." This flexibility allows carriers to select timings that better suit their operations, especially as DXB's prime slots become scarcer.

Despite global macroeconomic uncertainties, Dubai’s aviation sector continues to thrive, showing no discernible impact on travel flows through DXB. "There doesn’t seem to be any impact that’s discernible," Griffiths confirmed, referring to the initial nervousness surrounding US tariffs. "And that’s why I think we’re still confident that our forecasts are robust, so no impact is measurable in our traffic numbers as a result of any of the macroeconomic factors we've seen at all. It's all looking pretty robust."

The airport has seen record numbers, with a daily average of 254,000 people passing through DXB in the first half of the year. Griffiths highlighted strong growth in key markets: "KSA, the second largest market, has been very robust for us, and traffic between India and Dubai continues to grow." Leisure destinations like Cambodia, the Czech Republic, and Vietnam have also "grown enormously over the last six months.”

Griffiths remains optimistic for the second half of the year, revising the original forecast for 2025 from 95.1 million to 96 million passengers. "I'm pretty confident that the second half will continue to deliver, provided we don’t get any hiccups that disrupt that," he stated. This growth is driven by airlines upgrading to larger aircraft and increasing frequencies where available slots permit.