The exercise attracted over 2,200 volunteers from a cross-section of the UAE’s society, with many participants turning up at Terminal 3 with families and friends. Designed to simulate typical airport operating scenarios, the exercise was the first of a series of trials involving participation from the general public.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, attributed the successful execution of the trial to the enthusiasm and involvement of the public. “The response from members of the public to the operational trials programme has been overwhelming, right from the beginning. I thank all the volunteers who signed up for the trials and, in particular, all those who contributed to the success of the first trial with their active participation. We appreciate the involvement of the volunteers very much and hope they will be back for upcoming trials.

“These trials will prepare us as much as possible to ensure that we meet the needs of our customers when our new terminal opens."

He added that, with the help of the volunteers, the transition to the terminal building into a fully-operational facility will be more effective.

The trials simulate typical airport operating scenarios to test the new facility’s systems and processes, as well as the preparedness of the staff. The tests are expected to help the Dubai Airports’ management team to detect any shortcomings and take corrective action, as well as ensure smooth operations at the new facility from day one.

As part of the first major trial, volunteers – men, women, the elderly and children - acted as passengers travelling to a number of destinations. The ‘passengers’ moved through the facility in order to test traffic flow, way-finding signage, and other scenarios specific to the airport’s many strategic partners, such as the police, immigration and customs, as well as the passengers.

Dubai Airports will carry out similar exercises over the coming months to ensure smooth operations at the facility when it opens later this year. The second major trial is scheduled for the end of August, followed by another one towards the end of September. More information on the trials is available online at www.efast.ae/trials.  

Dubai Airports called on the public in June to get involved in testing the operational readiness of the new terminal, with a target figure of 4,000 volunteers. The response was so tremendous that, within a short period of time, over 15,000 people had registered online to become part of an important chapter of Dubai International’s history.

Terminal 3 and its airside facility at Dubai International will increase the airport’s capacity to 60 million passengers annually, thereby easing the flow at the existing terminals.

Some of the key benefits of the trials