24
December
2019
|
08:40
Europe/Amsterdam

Dubai World Central (DWC)

Dubai’s second airport opened its doors to passengers on October 27th 2013 with Wizz Air as the launch airline. Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways launched services from October 31st while Gulf Air commenced flights from December 8th, 2013.

Dubai Airports launched cargo operations at DWC on June 27, 2010 as part of the first phase of the project. The airport has a total of 36 freight operators (scheduled and chartered) signed up and operating at the facility.

Expansion
Dubai Airports carried out project at DWC to expand the airport’s capacity to 26 million passengers per annum. The expanded facility opened in 2018 after the successful completion of a thorough testing and trial programme. The expanded facility opened in time to offer alternate capacity for airlines during the closure of one of Dubai International’s two runway for refurbishment from April 16 to May 30th, 2019.

The expanded passenger terminal provides a total of 24 boarding gates, a brand new 6,000 bags per hour baggage handling system, 7 baggage reclaim carousels and 104 check-in desks.
 

DWC Expansion Quick Facts

  • Capacity – 26.5 million (vs current capacity at AUH – 20m, STN – 20m, IST – 30m)
  • Baggage carousels - 7 (up from 4)
  • Arrivals immigration counters – 40 (up from 16)
  • Arrivals smart gates – 5 (up from 4 but space for 20)
  • Check-in desks – 90 + 4 OOG (up from 40 + 2 OOG)
  • Business class check-in – 10 (new)
  • Total check-in – 104 (up from 42)
  • Departure boarding gates – 24 (up from 12)
  • Baggage system – 80 chutes, 8 transfers, 4000 EBS, 6000 bags per hour (up from 4 make-up carousels, 1 transfer line 0 EBS)
  • Hammerhead – new facility, 12 boarding gates, Business class lounge/boarding
  • Parking – 2,542 (up from 759)
  • Area of PTB – 144,000 sqm
  • Remote a/c stands – 98 – largest in the world (up from69)
  • Expanded taxi/limo staging area and pick up/drop off
     

 

Passenger Traffic
The passenger terminal at DWC was temporarily closed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as Dubai Airports consolidated all its passenger and cargo operations at Dubai International. While all freighter operators moved back to DWC by March 2022, its passenger terminal was reopened in May to accommodate passenger traffic diverted from DXB owing to the closure of its Northern runway for a major refurbishment project.

Between May and June 2022, DWC welcomed 651,826 passengers on 6,240 flights.

 

Passenger Traffic 2019/18

Quarter

2018

2019

Change

Q1

334,455

326,680

-2.3%

Q2

183,358

921,826

402.7%

Q3

119,363

21,926

-81.6%

Q4

263,026

363,626

38.2%

Annual

900,202

1,634,058

81.5%

  • Dubai World Central (DWC) welcomed a total of 1.6 million passengers in 2019, up 81.5%, mainly resulting from the relocation of operations by a number of airlines during the 45-day closure of one of DXB’s two runways for rehabilitation in April-May 2019.
  • A total of 36,949 flights took off or landed at DWC in 2019 (23.3% YoY).



Cargo Traffic 2019/18

Quarter

2018

2019

Change

Q1

229,831

215,763

-6.1%

Q2

245,359

234,238

-4.3%

H1

475,190

450,000

-5.3%

Q3

254,421

226,830

-10.8%

Annual

987,986

911,571

-7.7%

  • DWC moved a total of 911,571 tonnes of freight in 2019, a year on year decline of -7.7%.
  • DWC was served by six passenger airlines operating an average of 30 weekly flights to 45 international destinations. It is also home to 17 cargo operators that fly to as many as 45 cities around the world.


2018

  • Passenger traffic at DWC totalled 900,202 passengers in 2018, down 0.5% compared to 2017.
  • DWC handled 987,986 tonnes of cargo in 2018 a year on year increase of 1.6% compared to 2017.
  • There were 29,959 flight movements at DWC in 2018, down 12.4% YoY. 


2017

  • DWC welcomed 904,940 passengers in 2017, YoY increase of 6.4%.
  • Aircraft movements at DWC totalled 34,198, down 11.6% compared to 2016.
  • DWC handled 972,295 tonnes of freight in 2017, up 8.3% YoY
     

2016

  • DWC welcomed a total of 850,633 passengers in 2016, up 84.5% compared to 2015.
  • Air freight volumes at DWC showed a slight increase during 2016 with 897,998 tonnes, up 0.8% YoY.
  • DWC handled a total of 38,671 aircraft movements in 2016, a contraction of 5.6% compared to 2015.
     

2015

  • DWC handled 888,714 tonnes of freight in 2015, up 7.7% from 2014.
  • DWC welcomed 463,236 passengers during 2015, a contraction of -45.2% compared to the previous year.
  • The slump was due to the surge in volumes created by the temporary relocation of 300 weekly flights while the runway refurbishment programme was conducted at Dubai International in 2014.
  • Aircraft movements in 2015 totalled 42,055 compared to 47,655 movements during the same period last year, a decrease of 11.8%.
     

2014

  • DWC handled 758,371 tonnes of freight in 2014, a sharp increase of 262.5% from 2013. The spike was fuelled mainly by the completion of the shift of all pure cargo flight, including Emirates SkyCargo, from DXB to DWC in May 2014.
  • Annual passenger traffic in 2014 totalled 845,046 because of temporary flights operated by some passenger airlines during the runway upgrade project at DXB between May 1 and July 2014.
  • The increased activity in passenger and freight operations at DWC propelled the number of annual aircraft movements by 91.6% to 47,655.
  • The airport recorded 11,687 aircraft movements during the fourth quarter, up 47% from 2013.
  • DWC handled 219,092 tonnes of air freight during 2012 – its second full calendar year of operations, an increase of 144% from 2011.

 

General Aviation
Dubai Airports launched general aviation operations at DWC on April 28, 2011 with the first flight from launch customer Al Futtaim Services Company. The launch of operations followed the General Civil Aviation Authority’s regulatory approval for the facility on February 24, 2011.

DWC forms the heart of a 140sq km multiphase development of six clustered zones. The development is the region’s first integrated, multi-modal transportation platform connecting air, sea, and land.