Dubai is the most incredible city in the world. It is simply impossible to remain indifferent to him, he surprises and amazes at every turn. Even if you come here for the tenth time, you will not be able to firmly say that you know Dubai.
It is natural that acquaintance with the city begins with the airport. In Dubai, it is one of the busiest on the planet, so at the moment an incredible surprise is being prepared for travelers - Al Maktoum. This airport is a real fabulous city, from which you simply do not want to return to the real world.
Dubai: Arabian tale
We don't think we should talk about all the wonders of Dubai. Probably most of the tourists had time to visit this city and appreciate the magnificent beaches, exciting shopping and amazing architecture of skyscrapers that rise above what was once a lifeless desert.
No wonder Dubai International Airport looks like the city itself. It is luxuriously decorated and filled with friendly staff. Only in recent years, tourists have begun to notice that it has become quite difficult to move around the airport. Everywhere there are crowds of people hurrying to their flight. According to analysts, this complex is on the verge of its capabilities. It has been running at full capacity for several years now and needs to be unloaded immediately.
Enterprising Arabs actively tackled the problem and in 2010 introduced Al Maktoum to the world, an airport that was way ahead of its time. Despite the fact that it is still under construction, all travelers predict him the glory of the most luxurious air gate in the world.
Al Maktoum Brief Description
Al Maktoum International Airport is located almost in the center of Dubai, only forty-four kilometers separate it from the main streets. The distance between the main airport and the new air gate is seventy kilometers, so it is not worth buying transit flights in the future that involve movement between these two points.
The new airport is located near the most fashionable area of the city - Dubai World Central, very close to the artificial island so beloved by tourists.
In the near future, Al Maktoum is planned to be launched at full capacity, which will significantly reduce the passenger flow of Dubai International Airport. Coming soon for all tourists arrivingto the United Arab Emirates, the combination of Dubai - Al Maktoum will become familiar. The airport will have to take over half of all scheduled and charter flights of all airlines in the world.
Opening of a new international airport
The first flight was received at the new airport in September 2010. This allowed tourists to appreciate the scale of the future airport-city, as the locals already call it.
By 2013, it already had several cargo and one passenger terminal. The runways are adapted to receive aircraft of all known types. One cargo terminal is capable of receiving up to 250,000 tons of cargo per year.
Al Maktoum is a dream airport
The airport is currently under testing. Some of its rooms are not yet fully completed, but even without them, this incredible complex is simply amazing.
"Al Maktoum" consists of four terminal buildings, each of which is made in its own style and replete with all sorts of details that attract the tourist's eye during the inspection. The planned capacity of the airport is about 160 million passengers per year, cargo acceptance is limited to 12 million tons. Such capabilities make Al Maktoum the most powerful in the world.
But what makes the new air gate surprising is not this fact at all, but the very attitude towards the infrastructure of the airport terminal. We can say that Al Maktoum is an airport located inside a complexsystems. It includes a lot of objects - villas, cottages, hotels with a high level of service, cinemas and even kindergartens with schools. There has never been a project like this.
The ambitiousness of the architects led to the endless postponement of the deadlines for the completion of the complex. Construction is now scheduled to be completed in four years. Most of what Al Maktoum will be has been commissioned since last year.
Airport: reviews of first travelers
Tourists who were lucky enough to visit the new airport noted its scale. The building currently has forty-two check-in counters per flight, significantly reducing queuing times.
Regular and online check-in is available for travelers. Any of them ends forty minutes before boarding. Please note that all holidaymakers arriving in Dubai must undergo a retinal scan. This process awaits you at the new airport as well.
All tourists note that Al Maktoum has a lot of infrastructure. There are a large number of recreation areas, from the simplest to the VIP class. You can have a bite to eat in various cafes and restaurants: all the most popular fast food chains, as well as world leaders in the restaurant business, are represented here. Free Internet is always available to passengers.
If you love shopping, you will enjoy the duty free zonetrade. True, passengers note that in terms of rubles, prices in local stores are a bit high. But Arab sweets and other local goods can be bought at a very affordable price.
Now, knowing that a new international airport has opened in Dubai, when buying tickets, carefully look at the name of the point of arrival. You may be lucky enough to be able to see the beautiful Al Maktoum with your own eyes.