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DXB Terminal 1 reopening set to expedite aviation growth

All the latest news coming out of Dubai’s aviation sector has been highly promising and reflects strong optimism

Dubai International (DXB) is poised to reach new heights and will soon be wearing the pre-pandemic hustle-and-bustle look with thousands of passengers flying in and out of the airport when Terminal 1 reopens its doors on June 24. Dubai Airports on Sunday announced that Terminal 1 and Concourse D facilities at DXB will reopen from June 24. “To ensure we continue to offer a safe, smooth and easy airport journey for all our guests, we will be moving the operations of some airlines from Terminal 3 over to Terminal 1,” said a statement issued by Dubai Airports. The latest decision adds to a long list of measures that the emirate has taken to give a fillip to its aviation sector.

All the latest news coming out of Dubai’s aviation sector has been highly promising and reflects strong optimism not just in the local but in the global aviation sector as well. With DXB being the world’s largest airport for international passenger traffic and Emirates being the biggest carrier for international passengers, Dubai’s local aviation industry flies in sync with the global aviation sector. “Dubai’s aviation sector has been at the forefront of a global campaign to restore vital international air services with the opening of quarantine-free travel corridors between the UAE and multiple countries around the world,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman of Emirates airline and Chief Executive of the Emirates Group. “This move signals our confidence that the outlook for the rest of the year and beyond is one of optimism, as well as being a clear indication of Dubai’s intent to lead the aviation industry in its efforts to enable social and economic recovery of the world,” Sheikh Ahmed said.

Importantly, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, also projected eight per cent growth in passenger traffic in 2021, which will take the total number of passengers from 25.9 million in 2020 to 28 million in 2021. This will also help DXB reach 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic capacity. DXB remained open throughout the pandemic which played a key role in sustaining the aviation sector. From a local perspective, an announcement by Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management on Saturday, allowing vaccinated UAE residents from India, South Africa and Nigeria to return to Dubai, is another confidence booster. This will ensure that the emirate retains its crown as the world’s busiest airport — a title it has retained throughout the pandemic. “Governments around the world are starting to manage the Covid situation rather than avoid it. So, we are starting to see that in travel trends. With school holidays, Eid Al Adha and Expo 2020 coming up in the UAE, we see a huge rebound for inbound and outbound travel over the next few months,” says Griffiths, hinting at the shape of things to come.