Emirates will migrate operations from Dubai International Airport (DXB). The new operations will shift to the Al Makhtoum International Airport once it’s ready. This whole process will take no more than three days as soon as the new facility becomes operational.
Emirates to Shift Operations from DXB to New Al Maktoum Airport
Adel Al Redha, deputy president and chief operations officer of Emirates Airline, said, “There will be a short period during which we will shift from DXB to Al Makhtoum. The latest system at the new airport will operate independently, unlike the current one. Also, the shift can potentially happen overnight.
He added, “I don’t believe the transition to Al Makhtoum from DXB will take much time. Once the new airport is operational, the job is just to close operations here and shift over. So, it will take no more than three days.
He mentioned this at the time of a fireside chat at ForsaTEK 2025 Emirates Group’s annual event. It is dedicated to highlighting concepts of innovation, technology advancements, start-up ecosystems, and more.
Last year, Dubai officially announced that the operations at Dubai International would be shifted to Al Makhtoum Airport, which is a Dh-128 billion project. It will be completed within the next 10 years.
Dubai is already awarding contracts for the construction of the new airport. Al Makhtoum airport will have the capacity to accommodate 260 million passengers every year once it starts operating.
Furthermore, Al Redha also gave a sneak peek into the futuristic passenger experience. The state-of-the-art facilities at the airport will offer a seamless immigration process. He added that Al Makhtoum will be a ‘technology-based airport.’ So, travelers won’t even know that they are undergoing the checking and immigration process. All thanks to the biometrics technology integration. Efficient Tourism offers transfer from Dubai Airport to Abu Dhabi.
During the fireside chat, he shared a glimpse of the proposed innovative passenger experience. “Let me give you a short promo of what we envisioned. As you walk through immigration, you will pass through a ring. No need to show passports or interact with an attendant. This ring will be a seamless part of the infrastructure and design. So, travelers will be prepared for the departure process without knowing. The same concept will apply to lounge access or boarding a buggy. Every movement will remain connected to your biometric identity.
Also, the world’s largest international airline planned on running autonomous vehicles at the new airport. Al Redha said, “We no longer want to depend on people driving trucks around the airport. There are multiple existing futuristic technologies, and we are committed to using them. We are searching for the right partners to collaborate with us,” emphasizing the Emirates Airlines priority on advanced technology.
