Dubai airport runway closes, no delays reported

No delays or disruptions were reported for Emirates flights that were transferred to the Dubai World Central (DWC) on day one of the 45-day closure of the southern runway at the Dubai International (DXB) on Tuesday (April 16).
The runway will remain closed until May 30 and during this six-week period, many flights at the DXB will operate from either the DWC or the Sharjah International Airport.
A DXB spokesperson said all affected flights were successfully redirected after the runway was closed at 3:00pm. "Emirates has been working hard to implement measures to further maximise operational efficiencies at DXB and deliver a seamless experience for its customers departing and transiting through Dubai," an Emirates spokesperson told Khaleej Times.
"Meticulous planning has been going on for over 14 months to optimise operations, as well as build in operational flexibility and resilience to mitigate possible disruptions at every juncture."
Emirates noted that the southern runway closure is happening during one of the "quieter operational times" of the year. The runway refurbishment will be "critical" to increasing the long-term capacity of the DXB, ahead of the expected influx of visitors during Expo 2020 Dubai.
The Dubai-based airline had advised travellers to arrive at their terminals at least three hours before flight departures.
Low-cost carrier flydubai has relocated some of its services to DWC. "We're temporarily operating selected flights from DWC between April 16 and May 30. From May 31, the flying schedule returns to normal from DXB and DWC as applicable," a flydubai statement noted.
DWC is 65km away from DXB and a free bus service shuttles passengers every 30 minutes between the two airports. A dedicated fleet of taxis serving the airport is offering discounted rates throughout the closure period.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai

Angel Tesorero

angel@khaleejtimes.com