Emirate’s airport expansion plans in spotlight
Guest Writers are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the specific writer directly
Dubai’s advanced infrastructure and high-leve
l of connectivity should help the emirate edge the competition as it steps up its bid to become the world’s largest international air hub by 2018, according to president of Emirates airline, Tim Clark.
Clark mentioned that he was confident the airport could be adapted to accommodate the increased number of airliners that Emirates planned to bring in over the coming years. “Dubai Airport’s ‘SP2020’ plan will enable capacity at Dubai International to rise from 60 million to 90 million passengers by 2018,” he said. “The paramount advantage that Dubai must continue to leverage is its superior infrastructure.”
These statistics and detailed analysis would be available in The Report: Dubai 2013 published by Oxford Business Group (OBG) which will focus on the country’s economic activity and investment opportunities.
Adding further CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths agreed that Dubai’s ambitious expansion programme should pave the way for the emirate to increase its market share of passenger and cargo transhipment. But he also stressed the criticality of safeguarding service in the face of growing competition. “Other airports are being developed in the region with an eye on the same worldwide market,” he said. “Keeping those two factors – size and service – in sync will be crucial for success.”
Griffiths added that on the key challenge surrounding the expansion planned for Dubai International was how the site would accommodate the anticipated rise in passenger numbers. “The increase is actually something that we can fairly well predict based on our track record and experience,” he said. “What concerns me is balancing the scale of our build programme such that we will not only be able to accommodate the type of volume required, but at the same time ensure that we maintain and improve the quality of service. Given the confined space we have to work with it will be a challenge, but a challenge that we feel we have adequately addressed within our SP2020.”
Griffiths was bullish on the high level of investment earmarked for Dubai International, saying it was proportionate to the emirate’s ambitious plans to extend its reach worldwide.
Griffiths also highlighted the move by both Emirates and flydubai to embark on significant fleet expansions, saying it was a sign of their commitment to the emirate’s development programme.
