Grand opening

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T3 at Dubai International opens for business this month. What does the long awaited debut mean for the region?

Back in 2002, the Department of Civil Aviation began the second phase of its expansion programme at Dubai International Airport. This involved the construction of Terminal 3, Concourse 2 and Concourse 3. The project announcement sent ripples of anticipation through the region's aviation and tourism industry as, upon completion, the airport's annual handling capacity would be boosted to 60 million passengers annually. Now, six years later, Dubai Terminal 3 is complete and will begin operations this month.

As the passenger figures grew throughout the 1990s, it was soon realised by the government of Dubai that the airport's capacity was going to severely struggle to meet the needs of travellers and airlines alike. The Dubai government committed to a major expansion plan worth US$4.5 billion for Dubai International Airport and its affiliated divisions. The plan included the creation of a new terminal and two airside facilities, one of which is still under construction. It was decided that the expansion should be carried out in order to maintain the emirate's position as the aviation and business hub of the region.

The growth of Dubai International Airport can probably be best seen through the increase in passenger traffic. Over the last ten years passenger throughput has increased by 125%, jumping from 4.3 million in 1988 to 9.7 million in 1998.

The airport was ranked as the second fastest growing airport in the world according to Airports Council International (ACI) traffic statistics for 2002 and a year later it catered to 18 million passengers. Growth continues today, with ACI recording over 30 million passengers, enplaned and deplaned, at Dubai International in June 2008 alone.

According to forecasts, Terminal 3 and its airside facility will increase the airport's capacity to 60 million passengers annually by the year 2010, thereby easing the flow at the existing terminals. HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum explains: "Terminal 3 and the associated development represent a much needed expansion of Dubai's aviation infrastructure. The new facility will play an important role in supporting Dubai's economic progress, and reaffirm the city's image as an emerging global aviation hub."

Terminal 3 is underground and covers an area of 515,000m2. The departure and arrival halls are located 20m below the apron and taxiways and since the terminal is underground, the baggage handling system is both the largest and the deepest in the world. There are 14 baggage belts, with a combined length of 90km.

The belt will handle around 15,000 items of baggage per hour and 8000 bags per hour can be checked in at 220 counters. The baggage handling solution is a combination of belt and tray technology and has up to 800 RFID read/write stations for accurate tracking. To help eliminate disruptions, the system is designed to handle baggage larger than the norm.

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READERS' COMMENTS

TERMINAL 3 AIRPORT
Posted by harbinder Pal Singh, dubai, U.A.E on Tuesday 21 October 2008 at 16:11 UAE time


Excellent job done by emirate authorty,to build world class Airport

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