Dubai: Dubai World Central (DWC), the city’s second airport, is expected to see a spike of 700 per cent in the number of flights landing and taking off while Dubai International Airport undergoes refurbishment.
Operator Dubai Airports say DWC will take on additional traffic during the 45-day period from April 16 to May 30 when the southern runway is closed in Dubai International for maintenance work. The runway closure will reduce the main airport’s capacity, leading many carriers to shift their operations to DWC.
During the refurbishment period, Dubai International will see a 32 per cent reduction in passenger flights. For passengers, the drop in the number of seats will be by 26 per cent as some airlines deploy larger aircraft.
Overall, with the additional capacity provided by DWC, the number of flights to Dubai will fall by 10 per cent while seat reduction will be at 11 per cent.
Dubai Airports said in a statement that it has already informed all airlines in April 2018 they will need to adjust their schedules while the runway is closed. It added that the timing of the closure will minimise the impact of it as it will be during Ramadan, which is typically a quieter period at Dubai International in terms of traffic.
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority will provide public transportation options for DWC, with bus service from key locations in Dubai. Dubai Airports will also operate a bus service between Dubai International and DWC every 30 minutes.
