Cutting-edge aviation technology from AI to electric aircraft will help to reimagine passengers' journeys through Dubai's new $35bn passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport.
A “massive leap” in aviation technology at the new terminal will dismantle the old ways of processing passengers through airports and get rid of choke-points through the hub for faster travel, Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, told The National on Monday.
“Airports have a habit of legacy processes but we're determined to engineer this out. There will be huge investments in automation to make the customer service ethos better and to improve the quality of what we deliver. We've only scratched the service of what AI will deliver in this,” he said.
“Watch this space. The operating model of the airport will be very different from what we have seen.”
A surge in demand for air travel is placing “extraordinary pressure” on existing and new airports, national borders and airline resources, according to an April white paper on biometrics by Sita, an IT provider for the air transport industry.
The existing paper-based and manual travel infrastructure and legacy processes “simply won’t be able to cope”, according to the paper.
The solution is to leverage the power of facial and fingerprint biometrics to create a smoother and safer air travel experience, it said. Advanced technology will also help to solve other aviation industry challenges such as space constraints, specialist staff shortages and evolving passenger wants.
The global demand for travel is rising and biometrics is at the “forefront of this transformation” as the number of air travellers is set to double to eight billion annually by 2040, up from four billion in 2019, according to projections by the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
Dubai Airports has already made investments in biometric technology to funnel more people through Dubai International Airport faster, with the aim of increasing its capacity to 120 million passengers annually.
The first phase of the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum Airport is expected to be ready within 10 years, with the capacity to accommodate 150 million passengers annually.
The new airport terminal, spread across 70 square kilometres, will feature 400 aircraft gates, five parallel runways and new aviation technology.
That technology will focus on “the ability to eliminate legacy processes that we've had to endure for so long,” Mr Griffiths said.
“I can't think of another commodity that makes you book and then you go to the airport and reaffirm that you want that product.”
Future-proofing the new airport
Operator Dubai Airports is now in the detail design phase of the project during which decisions must be made on the hub's final configuration, operations, relationship with ground transport, customer service plan, F&B and retail strategy.
“With the design process, it is imperative that we rethink what the fundamentals of airports are: they are a way of ensuring the smooth and seamless transition from ground to air, that’s the whole rationale of having an airport,” Mr Griffiths said.
“We are taking a long, hard look at that in the design process.”
This also means that internal and external rail networks, road transport, electric aircraft technology, executive jets and budget airlines will be “incredibly important” elements for the efficiency of the new terminal, he said.
Dubai has signed an agreement with US-based electric aircraft maker Joby Aviation to launch passenger air taxi services in the emirate, which Joby expects to start as early as next year.
Built into the new airport terminal design is the flexibility to incorporate technology currently available today and emerging tech that develops over the years.
“Flexibility, imagination and collaboration are what we need to make it work effectively,” Mr Griffiths said.
The new terminal design, despite its ability to accommodate more runway movements, will take into account sustainable operations, the Dubai Airports boss said.
“We are all learning from climate change and there’s an acceptance that you cannot regard heavy rain as a minor event. We need to invest in systems and infrastructure to deal with climate change,” he said.
This will entail major investments in sustainability in terms of solar power, waste treatment, biofuels and a “huge number of initiatives” to combat the impact of climate change, Mr Griffiths said.
Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's largest hub by international traffic for 10 consecutive years, struggled to clear a backlog of flights after a record-breaking rainstorm in the UAE earlier this month.
DXB resumed normal operations days after the storm flooded taxiways, forcing flight diversions, delays and cancellations.
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Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
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Where: Anfield, Liverpool
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Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
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151 - Premier League losses.
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49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
