Overview
- Dubai authorities and project bodies say construction on the first phase is active and remains on course to begin passenger flights in 2032.
- Published project plans set an eventual annual capacity target of about 260 million passengers and show multiple runways with more than 400 aircraft stands and two main terminals.
- Design documents and officials describe heavy automation, including AI security checks, robot staff, pre‑terminal bag drop, an underground automated people‑mover, and high‑speed baggage handling to reduce queues.
- Reported cost figures vary across sources—one account cites AED16 billion (over £3bn) while another describes a £23.5 billion programme—and claims that Dubai International (DXB) will close by 2035 are limited in sourcing and remain unconfirmed.
- The scheme builds on Dubai’s role as a major global hub (DXB handled about 95.2 million passengers in 2025) and could reshape passenger flows and cargo routing but will require careful management of construction, budgets, and the future of existing airport operations.