Dubai Airports reopened Concourse A at Dubai International’s Terminal 3 complex taking the world’s busiest international airport closer to its 100 per cent operational capacity.
Flight EK659 which arrived from Male was Concourse A’s first flight since the facility was closed 20 months ago on March 25, 2020 as part of measures taken by the UAE authorities to control the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reopening of the facility follows robust growth in passenger numbers at DXB throughout the year and a consistent surge of demand in the final quarter. Concourse A will be reopened in phases over the coming weeks, helping DXB to maintain service levels while accommodating the rush of seasonal travelers in December and beyond.
The world’s largest purpose-built facility for the Airbus A380, Concourse A is connected to Terminal 3 by an airport train and has capacity to serve 18 million passengers annually.
Dubai Airports earlier stated that as many as 1.8 million passengers are expected to pass through Dubai International (DXB) during the period November 25 and December 5 with average daily traffic reaching 164,000 passengers. December 4 is expected to be the busiest day during this period with passenger numbers likely to surpass the 190,000 mark.
Considering that travel requirements have changed globally due to the pandemic, Dubai Airports has urged customers to:
• Be aware of the latest travel regulations for the destination you are traveling to. We urge passengers to get in touch with their respective airlines and ensure that they have all the necessary documents with the required validity before reaching the airport.
• Plan some extra time to get to and through the airport as the roads to DXB could get busy during peak times.
• Arrive at the airport no earlier than 3 hours before your departure if you are flying out of Terminal 1. Those departing from Terminal 3 can beat the queues by check-in up to 24 hours ahead of their departure.
• Use online and self-service options wherever available to get off to a smooth start to your journey.
• Say your goodbyes at home as only ticketed passengers will be allowed to enter the departure zone during peak hours throughout this busy period.