Dubai’s Giant Airport Switch Gets Real

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is expected to close permanently in the next decade, with all flights moved to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), around 22 miles away. Dubai Airports chief Paul Griffiths said at Arabian Travel Market that every service will transfer to DWC. The shift is planned between 2032 and 2035, giving airlines and passengers years to adjust.

DXB, which handles more than 90 million passengers a year, has little room left to grow. Homes and highways around the current site limit further expansion, while keeping two full airport operations running would require heavy investment. Griffiths said the existing airport site could later be redeveloped, helping Dubai spread more activity beyond its current aviation centre.

The move is tied to a £25.8 billion expansion of DWC, which opened in 2010 and started commercial flights in 2013. The future airport is planned with five runways, 400 gates and capacity for up to 260 million passengers a year by 2057. Emirates, flydubai and other carriers are expected to make DWC their main Dubai base.

A bigger airport could make Dubai easier to use as a stopover, especially for long-haul trips linking Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. DWC’s planned high-speed rail link to Abu Dhabi, with a journey of about 30 minutes, would also put the UAE capital closer to Dubai itineraries, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, Saadiyat beaches and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

The change will not affect holidays overnight, but the airport switch sets the direction for the 2030s: more capacity, more room to grow and better links across the UAE. As DWC replaces DXB as Dubai’s main aviation hub, travellers will need to check airport codes more carefully when booking flights.