Plans for Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) to continue its first phase of expansion remains unchanged and fully on-track of being completed on its original date, Dubai Airports chief said.
Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, which manages DWC and Dubai International Airport (DXB), said in a social media post on Friday that the new airport’s vision will remain “firmly on track” and that its “ambition remains unchanged.”
“Over the past few weeks, I have been asked several times whether recent events have changed our long-term plans for aviation in Dubai. The answer is simple: no,” he wrote on a LinkedIn post.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
DWC’s passenger operations have been open since 2013, but will undergo a second phase of expansion that will be able to withstand 150 million passengers annually, according to Dubai Airports. The first phase is set to be completed by 2032, and once operational, will start taking over all flight operations from DXB.
Griffiths said that the long-term vision remains unchanged, and his confidence in the future of Dubai’s aviation sector remains “as strong as ever.” He added, “Throughout my career, I have learned that moments of uncertainty come and go. What matters is maintaining the confidence to keep investing, keep building and keep looking ahead.”
“That is exactly what Dubai has always done, and exactly what we will continue to do,” he said.
The UAE and the surrounding region’s airspace have been disrupted due to Iranian hostile attacks since the start of the US-Israel-Iran war beginning on February 28. Griffiths, the Dubai Airports’ chief, commented a few weeks after the war began that there are no plans to put DWC’s expansion on hold.
In the LinkedIn post, he mentioned that aviation is central to Dubai’s success, and continues to connect million of people around the world despite hurdles. While many international carriers paused operations in the country, national carriers like Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, and AirArabia continued to fly passengers in and out of the UAE, though on a limited flight schedule. It fully opened its airspace on May 2nd.
“Dubai’s story has always been shaped by long-term thinking,” he continued. “Many of the projects, investments and ambitions that helped transform the city into one of the world’s leading tourism, business and aviation hubs were once viewed as bold aspirations. Time and again, Dubai has responded by continuing to invest, continuing to build and continuing to look ahead.”
Source: Khaleej Times