ABU DHABI // Dubai International Airport will open its new Terminal 3 in stages beginning on Oct 14. Terminal 3 has been designed to accommodate Emirates airline's forthcoming fleet of 58 Airbus A380 Superjumbo aircraft - the largest in the world. Dubai Airports, the new company established to manage the emirate's airport infrastructure, said it would open the $4.5 billion (Dh16.5bn) new terminal in stages rather than a full-scale opening like London Heathrow's Terminal 5, where 20,000 bags were lost in the opening days.
Earlier this month more than 2,000 volunteers took place in a trial at the new terminal in Dubai, including a test of the baggage system and signage as well as customs and immigration. Emirates airline will have sole use of the terminal, which has a capacity of roughly 40 million passengers. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, the president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Airports, said the new facility would serve an important role in expanding 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," he said. The facility will free up capacity at the other two terminals, which are forecast to see more than 40 million passengers this year, despite being designed for only 25 million annually. The new terminal will have 23 gates specifically designed to accommodate the double-decker A380.
Late last month, Emirates airline took delivery of its first A380 - which carry a price tag of roughly $300 million apiece - and quickly introduced it to its service from Dubai to New York. The first A380 is being flown out of Terminal 1, which was upgraded with two A380-capable gates. Although the development of Terminal 3 suffered a two-year construction delay, Emirates said the impact on its expansion plans had been minimal, as they coincided with a two-year production delay in the Airbus A380.
Despite its multibillion-dollar price tag, Terminal 3 is meant as a stopgap until the much larger Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali is opened in the next decade.
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