Released on Dated : Jun 14, 2022

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline Group, paid an inspection visit today (Wednesday) to the northern runway at Dubai International Airport, during which he was briefed on the progress of the rehabilitation project of the runway, which is scheduled to open to receive air traffic on the twenty-second of June, according to the approved schedule of the project.

His Highness listened to an explanation of the runway rehabilitation programme within a tight timeframe of up to 45 days, with remarkable progress in the completion of the project according to the best international standards by various teams led by national expertise and competencies at Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, the leading engineering organization responsible for master planning, design, infrastructure development and building Dubai's vital aviation sector.

His Highness praised the exceptional efforts behind the completion of the project on time, saying: "We are pleased to complete the second project to rehabilitate the northern runway as an important step that enhances our continuous endeavors to enable and meet the continuous growth of passenger traffic, thus supporting the growth of the air transport industry in Dubai, which is keen to provide the best levels of service to all passengers, and ensure the flexibility of the airport infrastructure by adopting and operating the latest technologies."

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum added: "Our outlook is positive for this year with growing estimates for annual passenger traffic flows, which we expect to reach 58.3 million passengers by the end of 2022, which exceeds the initial forecast by a large margin."

Record achievement

The project team of more than 400 engineers, field experts and more than 3,800 workers per day was able to complete the mega project on time, as DAEP appointed the national company, Al Nabooda Contracting, to carry out all infrastructure works for the Northern Runway rehabilitation programme due to its extensive experience in airport construction and long-standing cooperation with Dubai International Airport projects.

DXB's North Runway underwent a major rehabilitation in 2014, followed by the rehabilitation of the Southern Runway in 2019, which included upgrading the technologies used at the runway as part of a regular maintenance programme to ensure flexibility and continuity of movement around the clock.

As the end of the runway floor life approaches, and as airport traffic signs of a strong recovery, the decision was made to rehabilitate the northern runway in order to support the airport's operations and not to affect future operations over the next ten years.

The rehabilitation work included a complete 4,500-metre reconstruction of the central part of the runway and all the corridors and safety paths associated with the runway. More than 295,000 tonnes of special asphalt and 125,000 tonnes of concrete have been laid at the site since the start of the works so far. More than 4,230 AFL LED lights have been rehabilitated and installed, and the latest technology in navigation support systems and meteorological devices has been installed to ensure safety and increase runway operational capacity.

The teams began coordinating detailed requirements, assessing the status of the northern runway, and preparing designs, plans and logistical plans for construction and phased implementation more than a year before the start of the project, in close cooperation with key stakeholders and strategic partners at the airport, local authorities, both the contractor and the engineering consultant for the project.

The implementation of the project was accompanied by several special measures and arrangements to mitigate the impact of the temporary closure of the runway on air traffic, as many passenger flights were diverted to the passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), and a large-scale public awareness campaign was carried out to inform the public of these changes. In addition, Dubai Airports has launched a complimentary bus service between Dubai and Al Maktoum International Airports to facilitate flight connectivity and a seamless passenger experience.

The refurbishment of the northern runway of Dubai International Airport is expected to support the continued growth of air traffic on the airport campus during the next phase, and to promote the steady growth of passenger traffic through the emirate's airports, which is a key objective in the approach to establish Dubai as the best city to live, work and visit in the world, and to confirm its position as a global tourist destination and a major logistics hub globally.