Looking for a whole new place to get bumped from a flight? Dubai has thrown its hat into the ring with a newly announced plan to create the busiest airport in the world.
Al Maktoum International Airport is currently the emirate’s second-largest airfield, after Dubai International Airport. That’s all set to change with Dubai’s $35-billion plan to expand Al Maktoum into a five-runway, four-terminal, 400-gate powerhouse sprawling over more than 27 square miles and accommodating 260 million passengers a year. Eventually, all traffic from Dubai International will shift to Al Maktoum.
The gigantic Al Maktoum will anchor a 56-square-mile development project called Dubai South. “We are building a new project for future generations, ensuring continuous and stable development for our children and their children in turn,” Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said in a statement. “Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub and its new global center.”
