Al Maktoum International Airport, Jebel Ali and Dubai International Airport Air Traffic Transfer Strategy

Dubai Civil Aviation Department

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

As a result of the Airport Master Plan developed for the new Al Maktoum International Airport (AMIA) in Dubai, LEAPP was tasked with advising the Dubai Civil Aviation Department on the most appropriate approach to take towards transfer of air traffic from Dubai International Airport to AMIA. A study was first carried out to determine the existing runway and passenger terminal capacity at Dubai International Airport (DIA) to establish the limits imposed by the airside and terminals for accommodating future traffic growth. The required capacity for runway operations and accommodation of passengers in the terminals and concourses arising from forecasts for the future growth of various air traffic sectors and airlines was then used to determine the point at which Dubai International Airport would reach capacity in either or both the airside and passenger terminal systems. Various strategies for transfer of air traffic sectors, and airlines, from DIA to AMIA were then devised based on a forecast of critical capacity deficiencies, reflecting particularly the significant growth in traffic forecast for Emirates Airways and its Dubai hubbing operations. From this, a single strategy was put forward as the optimum approach to transfer of air traffic sectors to AMIA, which also identified the corresponding requirements for development of additional passenger terminal infrastructure at AMIA to accommodate the priority for capacity relief at Dubai International Airport.