Gulf Construction Online - $1bn more for airport project

Regional News

$1bn more for airport project

01 December 2001

Dubai will spend another billion dollars on the expansion of its international airport, lifting the total cost to $2.5 billion.

Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, said the extra billion dollars had been added to the expansion costs, mainly to cater for the new Airbus A380 aircraft purchased by Emirates.

Emirates has placed orders for 22 giant double-decker A380 aircraft from the European Consortium and options for 10 more.

"The cost of the entire expansion project has been revised and will now be to the tune of $2.5 billion" from an original $1.4 billion," said Shaikh Mohammed.

A proposed third terminal will now house two concourses - all exclusively for Emirates - and the cargo terminal has been upgraded to "mega" status. Only one new concourse was planned originally.

Construction is expected to begin by early 2002 and be completed by 2006. The cargo terminal will be built in phases and completed by 2018.

The new terminal, designed by France's Aeroports de Paris (ADP), will be in the shape of a giant plane wing almost 1km long.

The expansion will comprise five major parts.

The terminal building is expected to represent a radical departure in terms of its design concept when compared to the existing terminal. It will be located beneath the apron and taxiway area and will directly link with Concourse 2.

The department of civil aviation (DCA) said the parts include expansion of:

Passenger facilities, which includes Terminal 3, Concourse 2 and Concourse 3;

Cargo facilities, which includes the mega terminal;

Airfield facilities, such as new aprons, taxiways, roads, tunnels and runway extension;

Special facilities, such as a VIP pavilion, Royal Air Wing, Emirates technical and administration facilities, catering complex, and duty free warehouses; and

Infrastructure and support facilities, such as drainage, sewerage, water supply, central utility plants, engineering complex and fuel farm.

The DCA said the new design, in addition to being highly innovative, offers a number of distinct advantages such as simplified, easy passenger flow and reduced walking distances.

The main features of the Terminal 3 building are a multi-level underground structure measuring 300 by 350 m, first-class lounges and dedicated counters, restaurants, 180 check-in counters and 2,600 underground parking spaces.

The departures and arrivals halls within the terminal will be located 10m below the apron and taxiways, and passenger orientation will be heightened by maintaining visual contact with the landside through a fully-glazed facade at one end and Concourse 2, with its bright naturally-lit atrium at the other.

Vehicle parking is planned on two levels within a landscaped area, allowing uninterrupted view of Terminal 3 and Concourse 2 from the Airport Road.

Within the parking area, a commercial centre is to be planned around a rooflit central atrium.