The CEO of Dubai Airports is optimistic in regards to the future and expects passenger traffic to rise to a record level this yr and exceed 100 million by 2027.

Paul Griffiths said the airport operator had enjoyed a really strong recovery from the pandemic, adding that town had “never been stronger than it is now”.

Dubai Airports owns and manages Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

An absence of aircraft capability, coupled with efforts to advertise Dubai as a refuge to draw people, in addition to “hangover” demand brought on by the pandemic, may lead to a surge in passenger numbers, Griffiths added.

“These three reasons suggest we're in for a record year – 91 million forecast at the end of 2024,” he told CNBC's “Capital Connection” on Tuesday.

“We assume that we will exceed the 100 million passenger mark by 2027. So we are very optimistic about the future.”

Dubai International Airport recorded its busiest quarter in its history this yr, welcoming over 23 million passengers – a rise of 8.4% in the primary quarter in comparison with the identical period last yr, the corporate said in a press release.

This was partly as a consequence of increased destination offerings from flagship airline Emirates and its sister budget airline Flydubai, it said.

Total passenger traffic reached 23,052,060 guests in the primary quarter and recorded the very best passenger volume in January with 7.9 million passengers.

The outstanding growth further strengthens the airport's role as a key driver of Dubai's economy and the Middle East's aviation sector.

In April, the Dubai government approved a 128 billion dirham ($35 billion) plan to construct a brand new passenger terminal on the emirate's Al Maktoum International Airport. This will make it five times larger than Dubai's most important international airport – and the biggest on the planet when accomplished.

Griffiths said the airport operator would proceed to take a position in the newest technology to enhance “the flow rate through our airport facilities” and supply passengers with a faster and more convenient experience.

“Secondly, it allows us to greatly increase the capacity of our existing infrastructure without building too much additional capacity,” he said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Dubai's leadership approved a 128 billion dirham ($35 billion) plan to construct a brand new passenger terminal on the emirate's Al Maktoum International Airport, making it five times larger in area than Dubai's most important international airport – and the most important on the planet.

“Al Maktoum International Airport will have the world's largest capacity and will be able to accommodate up to 260 million passengers,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, said in a press release on Sunday.

For comparison, Dubai International Airport handled 86.9 million passengers in 2023, the second highest on the planet after Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport within the United States

All operations at Dubai International Airport, currently the world's second-largest passenger airport, will likely be relocated there in the approaching years, the statement said. The recent airport may have 400 gates and five parallel runways. “New aviation technologies are being used in the aviation sector for the first time,” it said.

The Dubai Media Office released digital renderings of the planned airport, showing futuristic images of sprawling airport infrastructure, massive terminals and space-age-esque design.

The airport will likely be situated in Dubai South, on the southern end of the UAE's glittering industrial capital, where real estate and logistics developments are underway. An entirely recent city will emerge across the airport, which Dubai's ruler says will create demand for housing for 1,000,000 people.

Dubai's current most important international airport is situated on the northern end of the emirate, which is more likely to lead to dramatic changes in traffic patterns and travel plans for travelers once the brand new travel hub is fully operational.

The recent city across the airport “will house the world's leading companies in logistics and air transport,” said Sheikh Maktoum. “We are building a new project for future generations, thereby ensuring the continuous and stable development of our children and their children. Dubai will be the world’s airport, its port, its urban hub and its new global center.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO of Dubai's flagship airline Emirates, posted pictures on X of himself with the ruler of Dubai discussing plans for the brand new developments.

“Al Maktoum International will be the new home of @emirates, @flydubai and all airline partners connecting the world to and from Dubai,” he wrote, referring to Emirates Airline and its low-cost subsidiary FlyDubai.

“We are investing to deliver the best future travel experiences and logistics capabilities in the world, contributing to Dubai’s D33 economic agenda.”

Dubai's D33 agenda goals to double the town's economy by 2033, attracting more investment, talent and economic diversification.

Al Maktoum International Airport, also called Dubai World Central (DWC), will cover an area of ​​27 square miles when accomplished. In addition to the planned capability of 260 million passengers per 12 months, a capability of 12 million tons of freight per 12 months can also be targeted.

The “first phase” of the project is anticipated to be accomplished inside 10 years and may have the capability to accommodate 150 million passengers per 12 months, Emirates CEO said.

The CEO of Emirates Airline sent a letter of apology to customers the next weekend Historic rainfall within the United Arab Emirates caused record-breaking flooding and chaos at Dubai airport.

Hundreds of flights needed to be canceled and 1000’s of consumers were stranded because of this.

“I would like to sincerely apologize to any customer whose travel plans were disrupted during this time,” company CEO Tim Clark wrote within the letter posted on the airline’s website Saturday.

“We know our response was far from perfect. We recognize and understand our customers' frustration due to congestion, lack of information and confusion in the terminals. We recognize that the long queues and waiting times were unacceptable.”

While the airline's service hub at Dubai Airport remained open, “flooded roads hindered the ability of our customers, pilots, cabin crew and airport staff to reach the airport, as well as the transportation of essential goods such as meals and other flight amenities,” Clark wrote.

He said that the airline diverted dozens of flights on Tuesday when the storm was at its worst and that “we had to cancel nearly 400 flights and delay many more over the next three days as our hub operations continued to be hit by staffing and supply shortages.” was challenged.”

Emirates issued a notice on Wednesday urging travelers not to come to the airport except in emergency situations. Additionally, check-ins for those scheduled to depart from Dubai were suspended, an embargo was placed on ticket sales, and connecting flights to Dubai from other cities were suspended, leaving some passengers stranded around the world.

Angry posts appeared on social media from customers saying they received no help from Emirates staff and could not contact anyone at the company.

“12 hours waiting for a canceled flight and 6 hours waiting at this counter with people passed out, arguing, attempting to keep their sanity and no communication from Emirates in anyway,” one Instagram user posted along with a photo showing a crowd outside Emirates shows screens at Dubai airport. The timestamp on the photo was Friday, 7:05 a.m.

Another traveler told CNBC on social media: “It took me 48 hours to get from London to Baghdad via Dubai. Five hours on the tarmac on the plane.” [in Dubai], for an hour there was no one there to open the gates of the aircraft bridge. I set out on my own… found a hotel and went back, waited 12 hours. I got on a flight and they served us almonds!”

Some people said they were stuck at the airport for more than 20 hours, and others stranded in foreign cities and connecting airports said they had to book their own trip home after failing to receive help from Emirates.

Clark said his employees did their best to deal with the unprecedented situation and that “whatever it takes is vital for 1000’s more employees across the corporate to get our operations back up and running.”

The CEO wrote that the airline “deployed over 100 volunteer staff to help distressed customers at Dubai Airport's departure point and within the transit area, prioritizing medical cases, the elderly and other vulnerable travelers.” He added that more than 12,000 Hotel rooms were provided for customers in Dubai and 250,000 meal vouchers were issued.

Emirates' regular flight schedules have been restored since Saturday. In the letter, Clark said the airline still has more than 30,000 bags to return to customers.

“We have put together a task force to sort, reconcile and deliver around 30,000 pieces of abandoned baggage to their owners,” he said, adding that it will “take a few more days to clear the backlog of rebooked passengers and bags. “ “and ask for customers’ “patience and understanding.”

Clark concluded by promising to improve the airline's processes, thanking his employees for their work and apologizing “to each customer affected by this disruption.”

DUBAI – One of the world's busiest airports temporarily suspended operations because the United Arab Emirates experienced its heaviest rain on record.

The downpour led to flight cancellations and Delays at Dubai International Airport, with travelers stranded for hours each within the terminal and on the tarmac, which gave the impression to be underwater in footage seen by CNBC. The airport said Road closures and flooding have prevented many passengers from reaching the airport for departing flights.

Dubai Airports has advised passengers to not go to the airport “unless absolutely necessary”. A spokesperson said that “flights continue to be delayed and diverted.”

Emirates airline suspended Check-in for all flights departing Dubai between 8:00 a.m. local time and midnight on Wednesday. Fly Dubai, a low-cost airline owned by the Dubai government, has also suspended all flights from the UAE hub until 10 a.m. local time on April 17, citing extreme weather conditions.

The National Center for Meteorology confirmed the country's highest rainfall within the eastern emirate of Al Ain reached 254.8 mm (10 inches) in lower than 24 hours.. Over 100mm of rain fell within the UAE, a record in 75 years because the UAE began recording rainfall.

The government issued one red warning, formwork offices, schools and banks across the country. The National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Authority warned Residents should stay home and park their vehicles in elevated areas away from flood-prone areas. People were also advised to take preventative measures to avoid property damage attributable to heavy rain and hailstorms.

The essential road connecting Dubai to the capital Abu Dhabi was blocked because of flooding. Both the subway and the mall in Dubai were flooded, and in videos seen by CNBC, cars might be seen on the streets in lots of parts of the country.

The storms also reportedly hit other parts of the Middle East 18 dead in Oman due to flooding.