Emirates to delay shift to Jebel Ali by up to twelve years

Emirates President, Tim Clark, announced the carrier decided to 'rethink' its relocation plans to the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport (AMIA) at Jebel Ali, owing to investments to upgrade the existing Dubai International Airport (DIA) (Arabian Business, 24-Mar-2010). The carrier now plans to shift to AMIA between 2022 and 2030, which is delayed from between 2018 to 2020. AMIA will open on 27-Jun-2010 for cargo operations with capacity to handle 250,000 tonnes of cargo p/a. Phase I will open with a single runway and capacity to handle 5 million passengers. Capacity at AMIA will eventually increase to 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo p/a. No launch date for passenger operations has been announced yet. Meanwhile, nearby DIA is being upgraded to handle 90 million passengers p/a. Dubai is expected to require capacity for 140 million passengers p/a by 2025.

Emirates: "We have refocused here [at Dubai International]. With a certain amount of investment here, you can get a lot more out of this airport," Tim Clark, President. Source: Arabian Business, 24-Mar-2010.