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The origins of the history of civil aviation in the Middle East do not lie in Dubai,
but the meteoric rise of Dubai International Airport in recent decades has led to the
rewriting of that history, and, more significantly, the shaping of the future of global
civil aviation.
Aviation began in Dubai in 1937 when the first Imperial Airways flying boat, operating a
weekly service between the UK and Pakistan, landed on the Dubai Creek. But it was not
until 1959 that the Dubai International Airport was established, following the construction
of the first airfield on a vast expanse of a wasteland some four kilometres from what used
to be the edge of the city. The modest facility consisted of an 1800-metre compacted runway,
an apron area, a terminal building and a fire station.
The airport was opened a year later in 1960 and was capable of handling aircraft up to the
size of a DC-3. Almost a decade later, in 1969, Dubai International Airport accommodated
some nine airlines serving a total of 20 destinations. Ten years later, in December 1980
to be more precise, the airport joined the International Civil Airports Association as an
ordinary member.
These milestones are important not only from an historical perspective, but also because they
give an idea of how much, and how fast, the airport has developed particularly over the past
two decades.
Passenger throughput at the Airport increased from 4.3 million in 1988 to 9.7 million in 1998,
around 125 per cent over a decade. The opening of the Sheikh Rashid Terminal, also known as
Terminal 1, in April 2000 marked the opening of a new chapter in Dubai’s aviation history.
Built as part of the first phase of the general expansion project at a cost of Dhs2 billion,
the Terminal increased the Airport’s capacity from 10 million to 25 million. Today, the airport
is connected to over 165 destinations across the globe through 113 airlines.
Accounting for over 25% of all passenger and aircraft movement in the Middle East and Africa
region, Dubai International Airport has grown at an unparalleled average of 18% annually since
2000.
In 2002, Dubai International Airport was ranked the second fastest growing airport in the world
according to ACI traffic statistics. The facility handled some 18 million passengers in 2003.
This year the figure has already crossed 16.2 million between January and July. According to
projections, which appear more and more realistic given the airport’s steady growth in terms of
capacity, passenger throughput, and aircraft and cargo movement, Dubai is gearing up to handle 70 million passengers by 2010.
A modest port on the Arabian Gulf has developed into a bustling international aviation hub in
a mere four decades. And, with Dubai acquiring a unique position on world stage with its
ever-expanding business, trade and tourism sectors the role of Dubai International Airport
has become more significant than ever. It is for this reason, that the facility is undergoing
a massive expansion project, which once complete will put it on the top spot in the aviation
world.
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