DXB, DWC ready for runway closure

Operation teams at Dubai's airports are "good to go" for the start of the 45-day long refurbishment of the southern runway at Dubai International (DXB).

The runway is nearing the end of its design life and requires a complete upgrade to accommodate future traffic growth.

Works start on Tuesday and during this time, several flights will move operations to Al Maktoum International (DWC).

DXB will only use one runway during this time, resulting in a 29 per cent reduction in the number of available seats.

Thanks to the additional capacity provided by DWC, the number of flights across the Dubai Airport system will see a reduction of just 19 per cent and a seat reduction of 20 per cent.

“Planning and preparations have been underway for almost two years in close coordination with Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, airlines, dnata, the regulator and a host of other service partners to make sure this massive project goes off without a hitch,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.

DWC will handle an average of 145 passenger flights per day during the period by airlines including flydubai, Wizz Air, Aeroflot, Indigo, SpiceJet, Gulf Air, Ukraine International Airlines, Ural Airlines, Nepal Airlines, Kuwait Airways and flynas.

The final piece of the puzzle fell into place on Sunday with the delivery of the last piece of ground equipment to DWC.

The logistics of the equipment move were managed by dnata and were tantamount to opening up an airport the size of Glasgow overnight.

In just a few days over 600 pieces of equipment have been moved to DWC in order to handle the additional traffic and ensure a seamless and smooth operation from day one through to day 45.

TRANSPORT
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will provide a fully integrated ground transportation solution for DWC with a regular bus service from key locations in Dubai and a dedicated fleet of taxis serving the airport offering discounts throughout the closure period.

Dubai Airports will also have a free express bus service operating between DXB and DWC every 30 minutes departing from DXB Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

Customers will also be able to take advantage of the free shaded parking at DWC’s 2,500 capacity car park.

CONSTRUCTION
Airfield preparations at DXB commenced months ago as engineering teams undertook a number of works in advance of the full runway closure.

Once the runway closes at 1500 local time on April 16, the site will see more than 90 construction vehicles enter and exit every hour transporting more than 18,500 truckloads of concrete, asphalt, materials and personnel. 

More than 1,900 employees will be involved in the project.

“We’re confident we are fully prepared and good to go for April 16,” said Griffiths. “We are encouraging passengers to confirm their airport of departure before they set out to take their flights but otherwise they can expect smooth operations and great service.”