Dubai International Airport

The place was chosen to catch the attention of the passengers towards the city. Today, the airport is the most important Navigation centre rested in the Middle East and serves the biggest and luxurious city of United Arab Emirates. The airport is managed by the Civil Aviation Department of Dubai and is an abode pedestal of the Emirates hub, biggest airline hub in Africa and the Middle East, Emirates SkyCargo and the Emirates Airline along with the Flydubai that operates a lot of airlines flying to over 200 parts across all the continents.

Toting up to being a significant passenger traffic centre and the world’s busiest airport, the Dubai International Airport was the world’s 6th busiest airport by international passenger traffic, the world’s 20th busiest airport by passenger traffic and the world’s 11th busiest by cargo traffic. Terminal 2 was improved in January 2009 and the terminal 3 is also expected to be upgraded by Concourse 3 by 2011. The 3rd terminal is the one and only biggest floor spaced building. The airport is expected to handle the arrival of the travellers in the near future and will go together with the Al Maktoum International Airport i.e. Dubai World Central International Airport.

The Emirates Airline is the biggest airline working from the terminal 3 with an armada of about 130 Boeing Aircrafts and Airbuses and offering planned services to Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Emirates SkyCargo offers programmed all-cargo benefits all over the world. FlyDubai is a low-cost airline operating terminal 2 and offering over 50 scheduled aircraft and passenger services to South Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Dubai.

Terminals:

There are 4 terminals stretched across an area of 225,020 sq meters and can handle about 62 million passengers annually. Concourse 1 is at Terminal 1 and concourse 2 and 3 are at Terminal 3. Terminal 2 is a bit away from the two main edifices and the general aviation terminal (GAT) is placed nearby. The cargo terminal is able to manage 3 million tones of cargo over a year.

Today, the airport is equipped with 3 passenger terminals out of which Terminals 1 & 3 are linked with a transit region wherein all the international passengers can walk in between the terminals without any immigration or checking. Terminal 2 is around 20 minutes away from Terminal 1 and around 30 minutes away from Terminal 3, at the opposite side of the airport and it caters all the passengers who wish to fly to the Persian Gulf and Sub Continent regions. The Executive Flights Terminal is placed adjacent to Terminal 2 and it has its own check-in, immigration and customs areas for the lavish travellers and premium passengers. Constructed especially for the Dubai Royal Air Wing, the VIP Pavilion endows a Royal Majlis, antenna farm and 8 aircraft hangers. The Cargo Mega Terminal is capable of housing 2.1 million tones of cargo throughout the year and is in the process of expanding itself to 3 million. The Flower Centre handles the import and export of flowers and will be offered with an upgraded automated system that will enable the processing of the flowers at a faster rate.

Concourse:

Concourse 1 was the major part of the Dubai International Airport till the construction of Terminal 3 was completed. It endows about 32 air bridges, 28 remote gates, a business centre, health club, 5-star hotel and other restaurants and lounges. The place also offers duty-free shopping along with a medical centre and prayer rooms. Concourse 2 is nestled in Terminal 3 and is completely dedicated to the Emirates Airline. The place houses around 28 jet bridges and 5 aerobridges those are able to operate A380, the new Airbus. Also, there is a hotel and a health club located inside the building. The Concourse 3, when completed, will be a second side of the Concourse 2. It will be equipped with 18 A380 gates and 2 contact gates, a connection to the Terminal 3 with an automated people mover, baggage transfer and a service tunnel. The airport also offers e-gates for quick immigration and fast processing formalities. The Al Majlis offers special check-in, baggage clearance and immigration formalities along with a limousine or bus ushered to the Sheikh Rashid Terminal (Concourse). Passengers wishing to take advantage of the Al Majlis have to book it before 24 hours.

Eating and Shopping:

Shopping and eating outlets are spread between the three Terminals of the airport. Terminal 3 has the biggest retail space. Banking services are provided at Terminal 2. Duty-free shopping, perfumes, watches, liquor and tobacco products mostly form the first choice of the passengers. Designer wear, Sports equipment, luxury goods, electronics, jewellery, cosmetics and fresh chocolates are also offered at the Duty-Free Shopping options of the Airport. There are a lot of cafes, restaurants, lounges and hotels nestled inside. A few of the options include Food Court, McDonald's, Le Martin Francais, Round Table Pizza and many more. The Airport also enjoys business centres, internet, gaming facilities, health clubs, swimming pool, spas, showers, children’s play areas, women’s and mother’s lounge, prayer rooms and 2 open-air gardens. 

Security:

The Dubai Government provides small and big range rescue and search services along with medical assistance and police support. The complete security system is managed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Dubai. All the terminals are equipped with pre-screening at the entrance. Also, personal and luggage screening is conducted at the respective departure gates.