Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC)

Dubai Airports launched cargo operations at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) on June 27 as part of the first phase of the project. The airport has a total of 36 freight operators (scheduled and chartered) signed up and operating.

 DWC will open its doors to passengers on October 27, 2013 when launch carriers nasair and Wizz Air commence operations to destinations in Saudi Arabia and Europe respectively.

In the first quarter of 2013 freight volume at DWC increased by 7.8 per cent to 53,974 tonnes from 50,062 during the same period in 2012. Air traffic movements at the airport rose 16.8 per cent to 4,104 in the first three months of 2013 compared to 3,513 movements during the first quarter of 2012.

DWC handled 219,092 tonnes of air freight during 2012 – its second full calendar year of operations, an increase of 144 per cent over 89,729 tonnes recorded in 2011.

Aircraft movements for the year came in at 16,317, up 99 per cent from 8,198 recorded in 2011. During 2012, more than 30 airlines operated into DWC, predominantly as cargo charter operations. Of these 15 were scheduled services.

In 2011, some 8,198 aircraft movements were recorded at DWC – 3,609 (44 per cent) of these were commercial cargo flights, 4,548 (55.5 per cent) were test and training flights and 41 (0.5 per cent) were general aviation operations. During 2011, 36 airlines operated into Dubai World Central, predominantly as cargo charter operations.

Dubai Airports launched general aviation operations at DWC on April 28, 2011 with the first flight from launch customer Al Futtaim Services Company. The launch of operations followed the General Civil Aviation Authority’s regulatory approval for the facility on February 24, 2011.

Upon completion in the mid 2020s, DWC will become the world’s largest airport with an ultimate capacity of 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo per annum. The airport forms the heart of a greater project also called Dubai World Central, a 140 sq km multiphase development of six clustered zones that includes the Dubai Logistics City (DLC), Commercial City, Residential City, Aviation City and the Golf City.

The development is the region’s first integrated, multi-modal transportation platform connecting air, sea, and land.

Fast Facts

• Phase 1 of DWC includes a single A380 compatible runway; a passenger terminal with capacity of 5 million passengers per annum (expandable to 7 mppa); a cargo terminal building with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes per annum (expandable to 600,000) and a 92-metre air traffic control tower.

• Construction of DWC’s passenger terminal building was completed in 2012. When it opens in October 2013, the new facility will offer full retail as well as food and beverage amenities. It is serviced by one A380 capable runway, 64 remote aircraft stands and has capacity for up to 7 million passengers per year.

• Once completed, DWC will have up to 4 passenger terminals, and will accommodate up to 160 mppa (compared to the world’s busiest passenger airport Atlanta at 90 mppa, followed by Chicago O’Hare at 69 mppa and London Heathrow at 67 mppa).

• DWC will have a final cargo capacity of 12 million tonnes per annum (compared to Dubai’s 2010 traffic figures of 2.27 million tonnes per annum, and world’s current largest cargo airport Memphis International at 3.7 mtpa).

• The airport will have a total of five parallel runways, 4.5km long, each separated by a minimum of 800m.

• The central terminal area (of the main terminal) will incorporate basements which will house a fully automated baggage handling system capable of handling around 240 million bags per annum.

• Located in the vicinity of the Jebel Ali Port and Free Zone, DWC will make air-sea connectivity achievable in four hours

§  DWC is designed to support aviation, tourism, and logistics well into the future.

• Costs for the entire DWC development (including all clusters) has been estimated in excess of US$ 32 billion (approx. AED 120 billion).