Set to begin operations in 2032, Al Maktoum International will feature a 14-station underground, multi-track train system. Here’s what a journey could look like.
Dubai’s airport of the future is being designed around a simple idea: passengers should not spend their journey standing in queues.
At Al Maktoum International Airport, baggage could be dropped off before travellers even reach the terminal, check-in could be completed en route, and passengers could move through the airport without repeated stops for formalities. Inside, automated people movers will connect terminals and concourses, advanced baggage systems will process tens of thousands of bags per hour, and road, rail and air networks will converge into a single, integrated travel hub.
This is the vision taking shape at the Dh128-billion development at Dubai World Central, expected to begin operations in 2032 and eventually evolve into the world’s largest aviation hub.
Here’s what a journey through Al Maktoum International Airport could look like:
Check-in before reaching the airport
Passengers flying through Al Maktoum International Airport could complete most travel formalities before they even reach the terminal.
In an earlier interview with Khaleej Times, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said the future airport would be built around a “no red lights” concept, aimed at removing the need for passengers to queue for check-in, immigration, security, customs, or other travel processes after arrival.
Instead, passengers would be able to check in and drop off their bags before or during their journey to the airport, allowing them to arrive at DWC and move through a short, seamless route to their flight.
Griffiths said the aim was to give passengers more control over their airport journey, with time spent where they choose — whether in shops, restaurants, or lounges — rather than in queues for formalities.
Automated people movers and rail links
Given the sheer scale of Al Maktoum International Airport, passengers will not rely solely on walking to move between key airport zones.
The airport will feature an integrated underground Automated People Mover (APM) system, including a multi-track train network. The 14-station APM will transport travellers between terminals and concourses and enable smoother transfers across the airport. For connecting passengers, it is designed to provide the shortest and most seamless route to onward flights.
The wider master plan also includes multimodal connectivity linking air, rail, and road networks, positioning the airport as part of an integrated transport ecosystem rather than a standalone terminal complex.
Etihad Rail, the UAE’s national railway project, could also include a stop at Dubai World Central, potentially allowing passengers to check in from rail stations before arriving at the airport.
A separate Airport Express Line could further enhance connectivity between Dubai’s two airports. According to a MEED report based on an RTA tender, consultants have been invited to study and design a proposed 55km link between Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport. The line would run from the Red Line metro station at DXB in Al Garhoud to DWC in Jebel Ali, with five stations planned along the route.
Baggage handling system
The airport’s baggage handling system will be designed to process tens of thousands of bags per hour.
Automated systems will transport, screen, and deliver luggage across the airport, helping to speed up departures, arrivals, and transfers.
For arriving passengers, the aim is to make baggage collection significantly faster, with bags expected to be available within minutes.
A vast passenger terminal zone
Once fully developed, Al Maktoum International Airport is set to become the world’s largest aviation hub.
The airport will be designed to handle more than 260 million passengers a year and 12 million tonnes of air cargo upon completion of its final phase.
Its future layout will include five parallel runways capable of operating independently, two passenger terminals, and seven concourses connected to more than 430 aircraft stands.
Together, these features will enable the airport to manage an unprecedented volume of passenger, cargo, and aircraft movement, reinforcing Dubai’s long-term role as a global hub for travel, trade, tourism, and logistics.
All operations to move to Al Maktoum Airport
Officials say work is under way to ensure a smooth and carefully managed transfer of operations from Dubai International Airport to the new airport, while maintaining the service standards associated with Dubai’s aviation sector.
Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had earlier said the new airport would be five times the size of the current Dubai International Airport, with all DXB operations to be transferred in the coming years.
Griffiths also told Khaleej Times that the Dh128-billion terminal being built at Al Maktoum International Airport would lift annual passenger capacity to 260 million, enabling it to fully absorb DXB’s operations within 10 years.
Once the transfer is complete, DXB is expected to close, with Griffiths noting there would be no business case to keep both airports operating due to DXB’s proximity to the city.
