Dubai’s airport of the future is being designed around a simple idea: passengers should not spend their journey standing in queues.
At Al Maktoum International Airport, bags could be dropped off before travellers reach the terminal, check-in could be completed during the journey, and passengers could move through the airport without the usual repeated stops for formalities. Inside, automated people movers will link terminals and concourses, advanced baggage systems will process tens of thousands of bags an hour, and road, rail and air networks will come together in one vast travel hub.
This is the vision taking shape at the Dh128-billion development at Dubai World Central, which is expected to begin operations in 2032 and eventually become the world’s largest aviation hub.
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Here is what a journey through Al Maktoum International Airport could look like:
Check-in before reaching the airport
Passengers flying through Al Maktoum International Airport could complete most travel formalities before they even reach the terminal.
In an earlier interview with Khaleej Times, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said the future airport would be built around a “no red lights” concept, aimed at removing the need for passengers to queue for check-in, immigration, security, customs or other travel processes after arrival.
Instead, passengers would be able to check in and drop off their bags before or during their journey to the airport, allowing them to arrive at DWC and move through a short, convenient route towards their flight.
Griffiths said the aim was to give passengers more control over their airport journey, with time spent where they choose, whether at shops, restaurants or lounges, rather than in queues for formalities.
Automated people mover and rail links
Given the sheer scale of Al Maktoum International Airport, passengers will not rely only on walking to move between key airport zones.
The airport will feature an integrated underground Automated People Mover system, which includes a multi-track train. The 14-station APM will carry travellers from terminals to concourses and support smoother transfers across the airport. For connecting passengers, the system is designed to help them reach onward flights through the shortest and most seamless route.
The airport plan also includes multimodal connectivity linking air, rail and road transport networks, allowing it to function as part of a wider transport ecosystem rather than as a standalone terminal complex.
Etihad Rail, the UAE’s national railway project, could also have a stop at Dubai World Central, potentially allowing passengers to check in from train stations before reaching the airport.
A separate Airport Express Line could further improve connectivity between Dubai’s two airports. According to a MEED report based on an RTA tender, consultants have been invited to study and design a proposed 55km link between Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport. The line would run from the Red Line Metro station at DXB in Al Garhoud to DWC in Jebel Ali, with five stations planned along the route.
Baggage handling system
The airport’s Baggage Handling System will be designed to process tens of thousands of bags an hour.
Automated systems will transport, screen and deliver bags across the airport, helping speed up departures, arrivals and transfers.
For arriving passengers, the aim is to make baggage collection significantly faster, with bags expected to be available within minutes.
A vast passenger terminal zone
Once fully developed, Al Maktoum International Airport is set to become the world’s largest aviation hub.
The airport will have capacity for more than 260 million passengers a year and 12 million tonnes of air cargo upon completion of its final phase.
Its future layout will include five parallel runways capable of operating independently, two passenger terminals, and seven concourses connected to more than 430 aircraft stands.
Together, these features will allow the airport to handle a massive volume of passenger, cargo and aircraft movement, supporting Dubai’s long-term role as a global centre for travel, trade, tourism and logistics.
All operations to move to Al Maktoum airport
Officials say work is under way to ensure a smooth and carefully managed transfer of operations from Dubai International Airport to the new airport, while maintaining the service standards associated with Dubai’s aviation sector.
Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had earlier said the new airport would be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, with all DXB operations to be transferred to it in the coming years.
Griffiths also told Khaleej Times that the Dh128-billion terminal being built at Al Maktoum International Airport would raise annual passenger capacity to 260 million, allowing it to fully absorb DXB’s operations within 10 years.
Once the transfer is complete, DXB is expected to close, with Griffiths saying there would be no business case to keep both airports running because of DXB’s proximity to the city.
