The Northern Runway rehabilitation program at Dubai International (DXB) has surpassed its midway point on schedule paving the way for the reopening of the runway on June 22, operator Dubai Airports has announced.
Since May 9. more than 1,000 vehicles and 3,000 people have been working on-site. around the clock at DXB to complete the project. The essential work involves resurfacing the entire 4.5km long Northern runway, strengthening the wider runway strip, as well as reinforcing the paving on key taxiway entries and exits, and repairing drainage infrastructure. Aeronautical ground lighting, navigational aids and meteorological equipment are also being replaced, and a navigation aids substation is being relocated –as the Southern runway maintains operations at the world’s busiest international airport.
The primary objective of the program was the timely rehabilitation of the runway and its supporting systems, to enhance the safety, operational efficiency, and capacity at DXB. Once completed, the project will have a positive impact on the overall travel experience at the airport for years to come.
DXB’s Northern runway was last fully resurfaced back in 2014 and a major upgrade was scheduled for 2024, however, with lower aircraft movements due to the ongoing recovery from the pandemic, the quieter time provided an ideal opportunity to carry out the rehabilitation works with minimum impact on DXB’s operations and growth.
Having carried out essential works on other runways and taxiways at DXB in the past, Dubai’s aviation community are -highly experienced in handling the challenges presented by such a massive, complex undertaking, and the comprehensive upgrade to the Northern runway will boost safety, service and capacity levels for the tens of millions of passengers that use the airport every year.
To ensure a seamless traveller experience and provide continuity in customer service while the essential work is being performed, Dubai World Central (DWC) has been handling more than 1,000 flights from several international carriers including flydubai, SpiceJet, Indigo, Gulf Air, Air India Express and Qatar Airways during the 45-day transition period.
Throughout the temporary closure period, Dubai Airports is advising all passengers to carefully check their flight information before setting out for their departure airport and try to plan some extra time to get to, and through, the airport to avoid delays or other issues.
