Dubai Airports has appointed its first chief executive officer following a restructure of the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation.
Paul Griffiths, a former managing director of BAA’s London Gatwick, will take up the new role on October 1 this year.
Griffiths spent 14 years as an executive director of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, where he was responsible for the commercial development of British long-haul airline Virgin Atlantic, before moving to a similar role at the Virgin Rail Group.
President of Dubai Airports, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said “We welcome Paul as chief executive of the newly formed Dubai Airports. This is a crucial time in the development of Dubai’s world-class aviation infrastructure.”
Under the DCA restructure, the organisation will comprise regulatory body Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, Air Traffic Services and Engineering Projects.
A total of Dh 300 billion ($82 billion) is being invested in civil aviation and aerospace industry projects in Dubai.
Dubai International Airport will by mid 2008 open Terminal 3 and Concourse 2, as part of an expansion that will triple its capacity to handle 75 million passengers annually by 2009.
The new international airport at the centre of the $33 billion Dubai World Central project will further boost the Emirate’s aviation infrastructure. Set to be the world’s biggest airport, it will have the capacity to handle 120 million passengers and boast up to 16 cargo terminals capable of handling over 12 million tonnes annually. The first of the airport’s six runways is planned to be operational by October 2007.
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