Dubai Airports, CEO, Paul Griffiths at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit World 2025

Transcript

Paul Griffiths:I think too many airport directors around the world misunderstand exactly what business they're in. They think that they are a consumer and infrastructure business rolled into one, where in my view, actually airports are in the hospitality business and we are a key B2B business partner with our airlines. It's our airlines that battle against each other to win traffic from each other and to actually hook the customer in. And they spend billions of dollars around the world achieving that. We are a key strategic partner to support the products on the ground that they provide in the air. And if you fundamentally understand that relationship, it takes all the heat out. Because that means you're both trying to achieve the same objective. I think regulation is possibly necessary in some circumstances, but let's face it, if a market is working effectively, then you don't need regulation, or you need very light-touch regulation. I think unfortunately around the world there are too many examples where clumsy, outdated regulation is actually acting against the best interests of the consumer, of the airlines, even the airports at some stages. So it's a tough question, I think, as to what you replace regulation with. Ideally, free capacity and more investment in creating more aviation infrastructure would remove completely the need for regulation. Well, with our small airports and the actual infrastructure size of DXB, is very, very constrained, but because we're 24/7 and we've got mostly large wide-bodied aircraft, we've been able to achieve so far 95.3 million passengers at DXB. Our ultimate capacity, we think, is about 115 million, which we'll get to about 2031. And then 2032 is the date that we're expecting to make the complete transition out of DXB to DWC. So the next few years are absolutely crucial to get the last vestiges of capacity out of the DXB system and to actually test the industrial scale of new technology that we'll have to roll out for DWC effective in 2032. It's going to be the world's largest aviation project, and we're already well into the design and operational concept for the new airport, which will be opening in 2032 with an initial capacity 150 million, and then building up to 260 million, which we anticipate will be the case by 2057. I think it was Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, that says, be first and be different. We're now first in the world and have been for the last 11 years, and we try and look at the aviation enterprise in Dubai in a completely different way. We're part of the essential infrastructure of the city, and bringing that together to make sure that the entire economy of the city keeps on growing and growing. That's our single mission. And it's great to have that because it's not the case in other parts of the world. Too often aviation is looked upon as a pariah, not an economic and social enabler. But in Dubai, we definitely know where aviation sits. And that's the reason I think the sector works so well. Well, hopefully with the following winds, by the end of next year, we will be nudging right up against that magic 100 million number. And then hopefully beyond that, we'll continue to grow, as I say, 114 million by 2031. And then I think the transition will happen immediately after that. I mean, it's going to be quite a challenge getting to that number. And obviously the last 15% of capacity is going to be the most difficult to squeeze out of DXB. But I'm absolutely confident with the people, the technology, the investment, the process development that we are putting in at DXB, we will definitely get there. Well, I think the challenges are really, really different. I enjoyed my time at Gatwick, and actually, I think at that time, the aviation industry in the UK was actually starting to focus much more on the customer. It's just a shame that the politics of the UK won't allow the aviation enterprise to really flourish and actually allow it to invest in infrastructure to create a much better and more economically contributory aviation sector, which we've proven in Dubai has great things, does great things for the economy and for the social development of the entire country.

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