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karatecatman Guest
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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:55 pm Post subject: Dubai in overdrive to build the world’s largest airport |
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Dubai is in overdrive to build world’s largest airport, says a UNI report.
Dubai already has the fastest growing airport in the Middle East, handling over 28 million passengers in 2006, but is on course to build another one -- the world’s largest.
In the vast desert stretching east of Jebel Ali port and free zone, one runway is nearly finished. It is a part of the only visible infrastructure of the Dubai World Central International Airport (JXB), whose target is to handle 120 million passengers a year when completed.
Five more runways are to follow, with the airport due to be in operation by the end of 2008. Hundreds of construction vehicles and thousands of labourers are working non-stop to meet this deadline for the first phase.
‘Once the work is complete, this airport will be larger than any airport we know, according to Khalifa al-Zafeen, chief engineer in Dubai’s aviation authority.
The airport is part of the Dubai World Central (DWC) mega-project, which is expected to cover 140 square kilometers (87 square miles) and feature a regional logistics hub, in addition to commercial and residential areas.
As a cargo hub, the new airport is also expected to be the world’s biggest, with a capacity to handle 12 million tonnes annually. Total infrastructure costs are estimated to reach a whopping 33 billion dollars.
The construction will employ between 20,000 and 30,000 workers at peak time, but he declined to disclose a deadline for the completion of the whole project.
The new airport is not intended to replace the older aviation hub -- the most modern airport in the Middle East -- that is just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the new development and a few minutes drive from the city centre.
Dubai continues to pump cash into developing its existing airport, with a third terminal expected to open by the end of 2007, aiming to increase the number of passengers to 60 million in 2010.
In 2006, the number of passengers rose 16 percent to 28.7 million from 24.7 million in 2005. Freight rose 5.85 percent to 1,410 million tonnes from 1,333 tonnes in 2005.
The Gulf emirate of about 1.3 million people has embarked on a strategy of headlong expansion under the ruling Maktoum family, committing billions of dollars to hugely ambitious projects.
DWC is tapping into the real estate hyper expansion by developing a commercial city next to the new airport, featuring 850 towers and expected to employ 130,000 people.
It will also boast a residential city which is expected to house up to 250,000 people. Like most of the developments in Dubai, which is deprived of natural water resources, DWC will feature two 18-hole golf courses.
A total of 113 airlines now offer flights from Dubai, one of the seven members of the United Arab Emirates, to 160 destinations around the world, says the long report.
Sources say that the move os also to accommodate the huge fleet of Emirates' A380s. |
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the_380 Member
Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2329 Location: Mumbai, India
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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These guys are nuts..... they have money flowing like water... _________________ http://www.myspace.com/avsatsworld
A Walt Disney and 20th Century Fox Audio Producer!!! |
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Aseem Member
Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ
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Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:14 am Post subject: |
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on the lighter note, I call that Jabel Ali airport as "Jalebi Airport" |
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