Emirates (EK, Dubai International) could only be making a move to Dubai World Central in 2024 a UAE government study has suggested. According to Bloomberg newswire, the delay in the transfer of operations will allow the carrier time to consolidate its operations and concentrate on growth without any disruptions.
In the interim, the new AED156.8billion (USD42.69billion) facility will, next year, become the new central hub for LCC, flydubai (FZ, Dubai International), which will then transfer its operations back to Dubai International once Emirates has completed its transition to Dubai World Central.
“The preferred transition scenario has the ability to maintain full utilization of Dubai International while reducing the major build at Al Maktoum for the Emirates hub,” the study says.
Bloomberg goes on to say that construction of a dedicated Emirates terminal at the new airport could be staged, with the building initially housing “spill” from foreign airlines until a “one-go Emirates move” following its completion in 2023-2024.
With demand in the Gulf states set to rapidly grow over the next decade, the region's most prominent carriers - Emirates, Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) and Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) - have all outlined plans to develop their own unique megahubs. Qatar Airways is expected to take occupancy of the recently commissioned Doha Hamad International over the next few weeks while Etihad's hub - Abu Dhabi International - is currently undergoing a AED25billion (USD6.8billion) expansion.
