Dubai authorities are pushing through an expansion of Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 to cater for the growth of the budget carrier flydubai and the emirate's booming travel and tourism sector.
The investment plan includes constructing a new check-in hall and departure area, and possibly extending the terminal building.
The plan is part of a renewed focus on the emirate's long-standing main airport in Deira as the development of Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali has been delayed.
"The project consists of constructing a new building located adjacent to the existing Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport," the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation said yesterday in an advertisement in a local newspaper inviting construction companies to pre-qualify for tenders.
The main hall will be 205 metres long and 90 metres wide, and house a check-in area, an immigration section and management offices, and a departure facility.
The agency said it was also considering a 70-metre-long extension to the existing terminal building.
Terminal 2 was significantly refurbished before the June 2009 launch of flydubai, the emirate's first locally based budget carrier.
Just two years on, the airline has grown immensely. This year, it expects to expand its seating capacity and passenger traffic by 140 per cent, said its chief executive, Ghaith al Ghaith.
As a result of flydubai's growth, and that of Emirates Airline and others among the more than 130 carriers that serve Dubai, the emirate was on track to overtake London, Paris and Hong Kong in 2015 to become the world's largest hub for international travel, Dubai Airports said this week.
Lorne Riley, the head of corporate communications at Dubai Airports, declined to comment on the advertisement concerning the Terminal 2 project, but said: "We are expecting a 7.2 per cent traffic growth and 6.7 per cent cargo growth annually over the next 10 years.
"In response to the anticipated growth, we have been developing a master plan to provide the required capacity and will announce details once everything is finalised."
The forecast increase is greater than the 5.3 per cent annualised growth that the aircraft maker Boeing has forecast for air travel in the Middle East over the next two decades.
Emirates accounts for most of the traffic at Dubai International. Tim Clark, the carrier's chief executive, said this week that his airline had weathered a "tough" 2010 financial year, which for Emirates ended on March 31.
But after earning nearly US$1 billion (Dh3.67bn) in its half-year performance, analysts had predicted Emirates would still be one of the highest performing airlines in the world last year, with net profit of up to $2bn. The airline announces its results next week.
Mr Clark said winter storms, natural disasters in New Zealand and Japan, the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland and unrest in the Middle East had challenged the carrier's operations. But Emirates "navigated our way through this", he said.
He added soaring fuel prices were also hurting the airline, with jet fuel now accounting for 43 per cent of the airline's total costs compared with 12 per cent nearly a decade ago.
igale@thenational.ae
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
RESULTS
Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed
5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)
Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)
Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)
Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Avatar%20(2009)
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