Dubai Airports has announced that Concourse D would open later this year to become the new home to nearly 100 airlines that currently operate from Concourse C.
The new concourse D at Dubai Airport is part of a Dh4.3 billion investment for new and upgraded facilities for the more than 110 international airlines that operate from Dubai Airport’s Terminals 1 and 2. The on-going expansion and upgrade will deliver a significantly enhanced customer experience.
Dubai Airport Concourse D will feature 21 contact stands, of which 4 will be able to accommodate the Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 aircraft, and 11 remote stands. The emphasis in Concourse D is to create a more efficient and intuitive customer experience with short walks to connect passengers with their aircraft.
The new facility will also feature open gates, which will allow travellers to board their flights directly from the waiting area, giving them more freedom and time to enjoy the full range of exciting bar and restaurant outlets. Construction due to be completed mid-year, paving the way for the full launch of a rigorous trial and testing programme to ensure that every system and process is ready prior to opening.
A total of Dh1.8 billion is being invested in a major phased refurbishment and modernisation of Terminal 1 and operational areas surrounding it and Concourse D.
Upgrades include the improvement to the drop-off and pick-up points in front of the terminal, refurbishment of landside arrivals including new food & beverage and retail outlets and the modernisation of the existing check-in and departure hall. A new train station is also being built from where passengers will be transported to Dubai Airports Concourse D.
The work also includes a reconfigured immigration area and a new airside arrivals route from the new train station.
On the northern side of the airport, a further Dh600 million has been invested to upgrade Terminal 2 which includes a more spacious check-in area with 48 counters, a newly expanded transfer area and 40 additional immigration counters. In the departures area of Terminal 2, new retail outlets and a broader range of food and beverage options were introduced and the number of gates increased to 12 while in arrivals three additional baggage carousels were added, doubling the numbers to a total of 6.
With the experience garnered from Terminal 3 and how smoothly that facility opened for Emirates, Dubai Airport has an exceptional record of bringing such projects to life on time and on budget.