Dubai Airports looks to minimise impact of 45-day refurbishment of DXB’s southern runway

UAE. Dubai Airports has said its operations teams at both Dubai World Central and DXB (Dubai International) airports are “good to go” for the 45-day refurbishment of DXB’s southern runway.

As reported, the DXB runway will shut down for a complete refurbishment from 16 April to 30 May. Dubai Airports said the runway is nearing the end of its design life and requires a complete upgrade to accommodate future traffic growth.

The closure will affect passenger traffic and retail operations at DXB, but Dubai Airports has been working to lessen the impact.

The last piece of ground equipment was delivered to Dubai World Central on 15 April. The logistics of the equipment move were managed by dnata, with over 600 pieces transferred to the airport in order to handle the additional traffic.

“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 Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths.

There will be a 29% reduction in available seats at DXB, with schedules for the remaining runway having been optimised. The number of flights across the Dubai airport system will see a reduction of just 19% and a seat reduction of just 20%.

The upgraded runway will help accommodate future traffic growth at DXB.

Many flights will be transferred to Dubai World Central. It will handle an average of 145 passenger flights per day during the 45-day period.

“We’re confident we are fully prepared and good to go for 16 April,” 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.”

Food & Beverage The Magazine eZine