Dubai's new airport: Emirates Group's dnata offers sneak peek at DWC offerings

Dubai: Emirates Group's airport and air travel services company, dnata, has ambitious plans to transition to Dubai's new $35 billion passenger terminal, Al Maktoum International, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), according to its CEO Steve Allen.

"We're heavily involved in the design phase," Allen explained while emphasizing the collaborative effort among all entities working at the airport to shape its future.

"You want a future-proofed airport. So, you want to introduce the latest technology to help with customer experience, but at the same time, it needs to be tried and tested," explained Allen.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have emerged as a cornerstone in dnata's vision for the new airport, and the company has a great test bed in the current Dubai International Airport (DXB) as well as DWC.

Allen revealed that the company has already taken delivery of four autonomous vehicles at dnata's facilities in DWC, which will undergo rigorous trials and testing. Allen said these are expected to optimise ground handling and logistics.

"DWC is the great test bed because we've already got operations up there," Allen explained. "And we want to do trial and test in DWC, where we have 70 aircraft movements a day anyway. But there's more space and time to try and test new equipment. And then once we have the tests complete, we can move them here into the operation," he added.

While acknowledging that fully autonomous operations are still in development, Allen pointed to existing automation at DXB, such as the track-based baggage system and automated docking for aircraft equipment, as a foundation for future advancements.

Even the realm of future air mobility, such as Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, is on dnata's radar. Allen acknowledged the potential for these technologies and confirmed that the design of DWC is considering the infrastructure to handle them.

"There is the capability to handle eVTOL aircraft, for example," he said, adding that dnata is closely monitoring the development and demand for such technologies to determine how it can best support them, whether through passenger handling or premium services.

The relocation to DWC will also facilitate the scaling up of dnata's popular premium passenger services, such as the marhaba meet-and-greet and the increasingly sought-after home check-in service.

Allen said there has been a significant surge in demand for these services post-pandemic, with usage nearly doubling.

According to the CEO, marhaba would have an enhanced presence at DWC, with strategically located and potentially more personalised lounges situated closer to departure gates. The integration of AI to further personalize the lounge experience and even provide AI-powered airport assistants is also being considered, according to Allen.

Addressing the timeline for the move, Allen said that the exact opening date will be determined in close collaboration with airport authorities as the project progresses. He said that dnata is committed to a 'phased approach, continuously building new infrastructure and bringing technologies online in line with the evolving plans.'

While the focus is firmly on the future, Allen also highlighted dnata's ongoing investments in its existing DXB operations to manage the projected growth in passenger numbers, anticipating a rise from 100 million to 120 million. These investments encompass infrastructure improvements, facility expansions, and the implementation of technologies to optimize efficiency.

When asked about the potential for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), Allen said, "The Emirates group is a world-class company, so we're well governed, well managed. We have transparency in all of our financials. If an IPO decision were made, we'd be well-placed to be ready for it. But that decision is not going to be my decision."