Al Maktoum International – Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai’s second airport, welcomed the launch of flydubai’s operations with the arrival of its first flight yesterday (October 25).

The airline will operate services to a number of destinations from DWC as it continues its operations from Dubai International also.

Welcoming flydubai’s arrival to DWC, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said it was a strong endorsement of the growth strategy planned for the two-airport city and a major milestone in the brief but promising history of the airport.

“We are very pleased with this development as it will benefit both the airline and the airport while offering more choice and convenience to our customers, particularly the residents living in the south of Dubai and upcoming communities around DWC.”

Since launching its operations in 2009, flydubai has created a network of more than 95 destinations in 45 countries, with 17 new routes announced in 2015.

Opened in 2013, the existing passenger terminal at DWC is serviced by one A380 capable runway, 64 remote aircraft stands and has capacity for up to 7 million passengers per year. The airport offers full retail as well as food and beverage amenities. Currently the airport is served by 5 passenger airlines and 30 cargo airlines flying to more than 40 destinations in total.

The passenger terminal will undergo a major expansion that will see its capacity increase to 26 million to accommodate future passenger growth. The expanded facility is expected to open in 2018 and is a precursor to the $32bn expansion to create the world’s biggest airport with annual capacity exceeding 200 million passengers. - TradeArabia News Service