Al Maktoum International Airport to open for cargo operations on 27-Jun-2010

Dubai World Central Vice President for Cargo and Logistics, Andrew Walsh, confirmed plans to open Al Maktoum International Airport (AMIA) at Jebel Ali for cargo operations on 27-Jun-2010, with an initial capacity to handle 250,000 tonnes of cargo p/a (Gulf News, 24-Mar-2010). Phase I will open with a single runway and capacity to handle five million passengers. Capacity at AMIA will increase to 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo p/a with the completion of Phase II, with five runways, projected for 2012. No launch date for passenger operations has been announced yet. Nearby Dubai International Airport (DIA) handled 40.9 million passengers in 2009 and is being expanded to accommodate 75 million passengers p/a by 2012. Dubai is expected to require capacity for 140 million passengers p/a by 2025.