Al Maktoum International Airport to get second runway by end of 2027

There’s an update on the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South, with DWC’s second runway now set to open by the end of 2027. “The opening of the second runway will be the next major milestone for DWC,” Griffiths said during a media briefing on Thursday. Phase 1 of the wider airport development is expected to be completed in 2032. According to Gulf News, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, stated that construction remains on schedule, with the first phase of the expanded airport expected to provide capacity for 150 million passengers in the early 2030s. Once complete, the airport will boast five runways serving up to 260 million passengers a year. The initial development itself will service 150 million passengers a year. As the airport’s capacity increases, two more runways would be brought into operation. A fifth would be kept in reserve to cover periods when another runway is closed. Once DWC is complete, it will be over five times the size of DXB, which currently holds the title of the world’s busiest international airport. According to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the airport will be the heart of a new city, one that will house over a million people and host the world’s top transport and logistics firms. Speaking to Gulf News, Griffiths stated that flydubai would most likely be the first airline to shift part of its operation from DXB to DWC, adding that an initial move will potentially include five or six aircraft in 2027. A broader transition will take place in stages over several months, with both Emirates and flydubai expected to use DWC as DXB gets busy.