The expansion of Dubai World Central (DWC) airport has been delayed by a year until 2018, Dubai Airports, the operator of the airport, has said.
“The expansion of Dubai World Central’s passenger terminal building from the current 5 million passengers per year to 26 million passengers will occur in 2018 following the successful completion of construction, trials and testing,” a Dubai Airports spokesman told MEConstructionNews.com.
“Dubai Airports’ has always maintained an approach that focuses on facility readiness and the provision of high service levels.”
DWC, previously known as Al Maktoum International Airport, is currently Dubai’s second largest airport. It is expected to become the world’s largest airport when all stages of planned expansion works are completed.
The airport opened in 2013 and can currently handle seven million passengers a year.
News about the delay comes in the wake of the announcement that Dubai has secured $3 billion in long-term financing for the expansion of its airports.
The funding acquired will be used to develop and expand both Dubai International Airport and DWC. The facility signifies the first stage of a larger funding plan, which aims to transform DWC into the primary airport for Dubai.
Currently, Dubai International Airport is the busiest airport in the world and is home to Emirates Airline. In January this year, Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports, told Reuters that Flydubai, the budget carrier, would be moving its operations to DWC in the third quarter of 2017.
Emirates Airline is slated to move in 2025.