Dubai Airports today confirmed that construction is expected to begin later this year on the expansion of the existing passenger terminal of the Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC).

The expansion will boost the current capacity of 6 million passengers a year to 26 million, it said.

As Dubai International nears its capacity limit due to the rapid growth of passenger traffic, DWC will play an increasingly important role in absorbing additional traffic. The project is a precursor to the $32-billion expansion project announced last September to create the world’s biggest airport with an ultimate capacity in excess of 200 million passengers per year.

As part of the existing passenger terminal expansion, the check-in area, baggage and immigration halls, as well as security screening areas, will be substantially expanded while the forecourt will be improved to ensure easier access to the parking and drop-off areas.

Once complete, the terminal will provide a total of 24 boarding gates, seven baggage reclaim carousels and an increase to 104 check-in desks.

Construction is currently expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2017 with the expanded facility opening shortly afterwards following the successful completion of a thorough testing and trial programme, Dubai Airports said.

“With traffic growth continuing at a rapid pace, the expansion of the current facility at DWC will help us accommodate future demand while the construction of the $32 billion programme is in progress,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.  - TradeArabia News Service