First flight out of Al Maktoum airport 'by end of 2009'

The first flight operating from the new airport being built as part of the $33 billion Dubai World Central (DWC) development will take off by the end of 2009, project chiefs said on Saturday.

The announcement about the A Maktoum International Airport came as it was revealed that the installation of fences and gates around the development site was now completed.

The 80km of fencing, costing $26 million dirhams, would provide added security to the construction of the plan to support Dubai’s aviation, tourism, commercial and logistics requirements until 2050 and beyond, Abdulla al-Falasi, DWC's director of marketing and corporate communications, said.

He added: "The entire fencing is equivalent to that of securing an area nearly twice the size of Hong Kong Island - a feat quite remarkable in itself."

A total of around 30,000 tonnes of steel and wires were used throughout the entire area, which took workers a year to finish.

"It provides for the necessary security and protection from any possible untoward outside intrusion as DWC's construction, particularly that of the DWC-Al Maktoum International Airport goes full steam ahead," he said, adding that the first flight in and out of the airport was expected by year-end.

Other infrastructure work within DWC such at the cargo terminal building, control tower, navigational aids, aprons and taxiways, central utility complexes, electrical substation, fuel staging area, fire stations and police facility are expected to be completed soon.

Dubai World Central is a residential, commercial and logistics complex under construction in the Jebel Ali area of the city.

A key part of the 140-square kilometre scheme is Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be the world's largest passenger and cargo hub once complete, and will include six parallel runways, three passenger terminals and 16 cargo terminals.

The airport will have an annual passenger capacity of more than 120 million and an annual cargo capacity of 12 million tonnes.

DWC comprises six specialised clustered zones: Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai Logistics City, DWC Commercial City, DWC Residential City, DWC Aviation City and DWC Golf City.