Dubai's new airport could offer check-in at Etihad Rail train stations

Dubai: Passengers using Dubai's new mega-airport could one day check in their bags at train stations before they even reach the terminal.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, told aviation publication Flight Global that he envisages an integrated transport system where travellers drop off their luggage at Etihad Rail stations on their way to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

"Griffiths envisages an eventual integrated system where ­passengers en route to the airport will be able to check their bags in at train stations," read the Flight Global report.

This idea addresses a major problem: the airport currently has no metro link. The nearest station is at Expo, 5km away.

"There are still plenty of challenges when it comes to expanding DWC that are beyond Dubai Airports' control," Griffiths said.

The proposed Etihad Rail network will have a high-speed passenger line connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai with six stations: Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Zayed International Airport, near Al Maktoum International Airport, and Al Jaddaf in Dubai. 

Dubai announced a $35 billion expansion of Al Maktoum International in April 2024. The project will build a terminal with 400 gates and five runways, taking capacity from 100 million to 260 million passengers a year.

The airport needs to be ready by 2032. Dubai International is running out of space, with passenger numbers expected to hit 99 million next year and 115 million by 2031.

"As demand grows, it gets critical," said Griffiths, who noted that only 32 million passengers used Dubai International when he joined 15 years ago. "We have to be ready to open by 2032."

Dubai’s two major airlines - Emirates and flydubai - will eventually move their entire operations to the new airport. Together, they handle two-thirds of Dubai International's traffic. In the first year, Al Maktoum International is expected to serve 124 million passengers.

Griffiths told Flight Global that the new airport will use technology to speed up the passenger journey. "We're long overdue a massive overhaul of process and technology in the airport space," he said.

The plan is to create a "frictionless airport" using biometrics. "You simply show up and walk through discreet but effective security," he said. "Cameras are embedded in walls and gathering data."

Instead of one huge terminal, the airport will have eight separate areas, each handling 30 million passengers.

"What we are trying to do is intimacy at scale," Griffiths said. The emirate is due to host the Dubai Airshow next week.