Terminal 3 wows all

Get ready to get lost at Dubai International Airport’s sprawling Terminal 3 - not for lack of proper directions, but for its sheer size.

Scheduled to open on October 14 for passengers bound for Gulf countries and the US, movement around the airport’s six floors, most of them underground, has been facilitated by 157 lifts, 97 escalators, 82 moving walkways and 27 truck lifts and eight ‘Sky Trains” that can handle 47 people each.

Two sizeable indoor Zen gardens, with matching ferns and pine trees, have given the terminal a tropical feel.

It has taken 10 million cubic metres of soil (which can fill 4,000 swimming pools), 33,000 tonnes of structural steel and 450 tonnes of reinforcement to put the terminal together.

And it may take extremely well-informed staff to make sure people don’t end up in the wrong place and enjoy its facilities more than hate its size, felt media persons, many of whom had lost their way during the press meet on the $4.5 billion (Dh16.6 billion) facility on Thursday.

For a project of this scale, the car park itself is equivalent to 33 football fields, while the departures area at Level 3 is more than 51 hectares in size (515,000 square metres) -- the size of 94 football fields.

“It’s a cross between a huge museum and a mall,” said one magazine editor from the Dubai Media City.

Duty Free doubles size

Dubai Duty Free will operate over 8,000 square metres of retail space in T3 and will more than double its current retail operations at the Dubai International.

As the new home of the Emirates Airline, Terminal 3 will have five gates for the double-decker A380 at Concourse 2 (plus 18 more at the under-construction Concourse 3).

The airport will handle up to 43 million passengers a year -- a rise from the current capacity of 33 million passengers (2007 figure), and may also be linked to the Dubai Metro through an under-construction station.

For economy class passengers, access to Concourse 2 at Level 3, the size of 120 football fields, is via four huge ‘Sky Trains’ or escalators. First and business class passengers have access to the Concourse through dedicated lifts.

The arrivals section, at Concourse Level 1 (Level 4), has 52 immigration counters and 12 e-gates and 14 baggage carousels.

Teething troubles

Airport authorities are aware of the possible teething problems associated with such a massive infrastructure.

“We’re rewriting the textbook of the process of airport operations… There will be issues,” said Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Airports.

“We will gradually phase in the load on Terminal 3 from Tuesday (October 14), initially with GCC and US flights. If there are kinks, we can rectify them quickly without affecting the entire operations.”

There will be 30 self-check-in counters, allowing passengers to check in and book seats without the aid of human staff, and will be smart enough to flag down a luggage if it exceeds the IATA-mandated maximum weight of 32 kg.

That’s in addition to 126 traditional check-in stations.

Griffiths was with Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, and George Horan, Deputy Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, on a tour of the facility along with members of the airport and airline management.

43 million passengers

He said the new facility will boost the capacity of Dubai International to 43 million passengers with new T3 Concourse 2, which will further go up to about 60 million once Concourse 3 is completed.

In a statement, Shaikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Airports and Chairman and CEO, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “The new Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International will make a significant contribution to the far-reaching strategic plan and the vision for Dubai’s future, as directed by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The facility will play a leading role in firmly establishing Dubai’s position as a world centre for business, finance, sports and culture.

“It was Shaikh Mohammad’s vision that brought this multi-billion dollar investment to fruition. The complex is, to date, one of the biggest and most ambitious projects in the history of civil aviation and Dubai is proud to be home to it.”
Griffiths said: “This first phase of the airport expansion project is complete. It’s an opportunity to prove to the world that Dubai can deliver the next step in a whole new level of customer service. The terminal not only embraces stunning design, but a whole range of new facilities never before seen in an airport environment.”

Exclusively Emirates

Commenting that Emirates alone will cater to over 40 million passengers a year with the completion of Concourse 3 of the terminal, Tim Clark said: “Having a dedicated terminal for Emirates was no longer an option but a necessity. This project has been an exciting one … and we can now boast of world-class facilities and lounges. With spas to relax between flights, an entire level of Duty Free shopping, five- and four-star hotels and fine dining, the airport is truly a destination in itself.”

Commenting on the retail area, Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said: “The new duty free operation at the Emirates Terminal 3 will enable passengers to enjoy world-class shopping. There is certainly a ‘wow’ factor to the whole terminal and this is mirrored in the retail areas where the latest products, from everyday items to high-end luxury goods, are available 24 hours a day.”

With the start of the phased transition of the Emirates’ operations from October 14, customers to the GCC and the Americas are advised to check from which terminal they are flying before setting off for Dubai International to avoid any unnecessary delays to their journey.