Dubai: Dubai International’s latest expansion, the construction of Concourse D in Terminal 1, “is now in the process of being handed over to operational readiness,” the Dubai Airports Chief Executive, Paul Griffiths, told Gulf News earlier this week.
Concourse D has been constructed as part of operator Dubai Airports Strategic Plan 2020 to increase capacity at the airport to 90 million passengers a year.
A train connecting Concourse D with Concourse C in Terminal 1 is currently undergoing certification by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Paul Griffiths said ahead of Dubai International’s 55th anniversary on September 30.
Concourse D is the first project at the airport that Dubai Airports has been able to dictate the exact specifications all the way through. Dubai Airports was established in 2007.
“We’re confident that the building will be better than the existing infrastructure,” Griffiths said by phone.
Dubai Airports has not announced an opening date for Concourse D, however, has previously said it will open in 2015. “We’re still working on the readiness programme and as soon as we’ve got to the stage where we can safely and reliably say it will be open for business then obviously we will be making that announcement but I haven’t got a date yet,” Griffiths said.
International airlines flying out of Concourse C in Terminal 1 will move over to the new concourse once it opens with rapidly expanding home carrier Emirates taking over Concourse C. But Concourse D will not open partially, Griffiths said, despite increasing congestion at the airport demanding extra space. Griffiths said he wants the opening of the new concourse to be “completely positive” for passenger first impressions.
A total of $7.8 billion has been invested in expanding Dubai International under Strategic Plan 2020.
In 2014, Dubai International overtook London Heathrow to become the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic, a title the airport does not want to lose.
“Airports are becoming more competitive with each other, particularly intercontinental hubs like ours where you’ve got competition with Singapore, you’ve got competition with Abu Dhabi, competition with Doha, Istanbul other hubs in Europe,” Griffiths said. “We want to give our customers compelling reasons why they want to choose to go through Dubai.”
In the new concourse, passengers will not sit in a segregated boarding area waiting for their flight like they do now at Dubai International. Griffiths hopes open-gate access will allow passengers to spend more time at café’s and restaurants and at the duty free — a major source of airport revenue.
Dubai Airports will also introduce live music performance within the airport with the opening of the new terminal. Griffiths said the only factor that will link the live performers “is they need to be good to get inside the airport.”
“This is all about the passenger experience,” he said.
But, Griffiths, who is also a respected musician, said he won’t be auditioning musicians personally.
