Runway Extravaganza: Dubai Airport's Impressive Capacity Revealed

Dubai International Airport is the primary international airport for Dubai and the UAE. It is the busiest airport in the world for international passenger traffic and has been since 2014. The airport has two runways and three terminals. The southern runway is 12R/30L and the northern runway is 12L/30R. Each runway has four instrument landing systems to help guide aircraft in poor weather conditions.

Dubai International Airport has two runways

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic and the third busiest by overall passenger traffic. The airport is also the busiest for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements. In 2023, the airport handled 87 million passengers and 1.81 million tonnes of cargo.

Dubai International Airport currently has two runways in use, designated as 12L/30R and 12R/30L. The airport's first runway was constructed in 1960 and was made of compacted sand. The second runway was added in 1984. Both runways were expanded in 2009 to accommodate the Airbus A380.

The airport has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 are connected, allowing airside passengers to move freely between them. Terminal 2 is on the other side of the airport and has no connection to the other two terminals. Terminal 3 is the second-largest building in the world by floor space and the largest airport terminal in the world. In addition to the passenger terminals, the airport also has a cargo mega terminal and a flower centre to handle flower imports and exports.

The southern runway is 12R/30L and the northern runway is 12L/30R

Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB, ICAO: OMDB) is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic, and the third busiest by overall passenger traffic. The airport is spread over an area of 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres) of land and has three terminals and two runways in use, designated as 12L/30R and 12R/30L. The southern runway is 12R/30L and the northern runway is 12L/30R.

The southern runway, 12R/30L, is crucial to the airport's operations, handling over 1,200 flights daily. Both runways were expanded in 2009 to accommodate the Airbus A380, and in 2013, the southern runway was closed for 30 days for resurfacing and the installation of additional taxiways to boost its capacity. In 2019, the southern runway was closed again for 45 days for complete resurfacing and the replacement of airfield lighting and supporting infrastructure.

The northern runway, 12L/30R, was resurfaced in 2014 during an 80-day runway refurbishment program, while the southern runway received lighting upgrades and additional taxiways. During this time, all freighter, charter, and general aviation flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport.

The runways are 4,000 x 60m and are situated closely together

Dubai International Airport has two runways that are 4,000 x 60m and are situated closely together. The southern runway is 12R/30L, and the northern runway is 12L/30R. Each runway has four instrument landing systems to guide aircraft under poor weather conditions.

The runways have undergone several expansions and refurbishments over the years. The southern runway, for instance, underwent a complete resurfacing and lighting replacement to boost safety in May 2019.

The runways were expanded to accommodate the Airbus A380, which entered service in 2007. In 2009, the airport also installed a Category III landing system, which allows planes to land in low-visibility conditions.

Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world by passenger traffic and cargo. It is the primary international airport for Dubai and the UAE, connecting more than 240 destinations across six continents with nearly 100 airlines.

The airport has three major terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. Terminal 2 is a standalone building, while Terminals 1 and 3 have concourses attached to them. Terminal 3 is the largest and newest terminal, having opened in 2016, and is partly underground.

The airport is located in the Al Garhoud district of Dubai, approximately 3 miles from the city centre. It handles a high volume of traffic, with 87 million passengers and 1.81 million tonnes of cargo in 2023.

Each runway has four instrument landing systems to aid aircraft in poor weather conditions

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is one of the busiest airports in the world by international passenger traffic and cargo. The airport is spread over an area of 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres) of land and is situated in the Al Garhoud district, 2.54 nautical miles (4.70 km; 2.92 mi) east of the city centre of Dubai.

The airport has three terminals and two closely spaced parallel runways, 12R/30L and 12L/30R. The runways are equipped with four sets of instrument landing systems (ILS) to guide landing aircraft safely under very poor weather conditions.

ILS is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. It uses two directional radio signals, the localizer (108 to 112 MHz frequency) for horizontal guidance, and the glideslope (329.15 to 335 MHz frequency) for vertical guidance. The relationship between the aircraft's position and these signals is displayed on an aircraft instrument. Marker beacons and high-intensity runway lights may also be provided as aids to the use of an ILS.

The ILS LOC aerials are normally located at the end of the runway, while the ILS GS aerials are normally located on the aerodrome. The GS aerials are usually located so that the glide-slope provides a runway threshold crossing height of about 50 ft. The usual GS angle is 3 degrees but exceptions may occur, usually to meet particular approach constraints such as terrain or noise abatement.

The installation of the lighting system at Dubai International Airport continued after the official opening and was completed in August 1965. During the second half of the 1960s, several extensions, equipment upgrades, and new buildings were constructed. The airport underwent major expansions in 1998, 2008, and 2016, with the opening of Terminals 2 and 3, and Concourse D (attached to Terminal 1), respectively.

The southern runway was resurfaced and had its lighting replaced in 2019

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is one of the busiest airports in the world by passenger traffic and cargo. The airport has two close-parallel runways—the southern runway 12R/30L and the northern runway 12L/30R.

In 2019, the southern runway was resurfaced and had its lighting replaced. This was a mammoth task, requiring the closure of the runway for 45 days. The rehabilitation project involved placing approximately 60,000 tonnes of asphalt and 8,000 cubic metres of concrete, as well as replacing over 5,500 runway lights and 800 kilometres of primary cables. The runway was closed from 16 April 2019 to 30 May 2019.

The southern runway is one of the most crucial assets for the airport, handling upwards of 1,200 aircraft movements per day. Over the decades, the runway has undergone constant upgrades and renovations to accommodate increased air traffic. The 2019 resurfacing project was part of the third phase of development at Dubai International Airport, with the runway nearing the end of its design life.

The project was a collaborative effort between Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and Dubai Airports. Over 2,200 personnel worked around the clock to speed up the refurbishment. The new runway design considered a range of functional factors, including varying temperatures and weather conditions, rising flight movements, and accommodating aircraft of all types.

The success of the Southern Runway Rehabilitation program was a significant achievement, ensuring the runway could continue to handle flights seamlessly into the future. The growth of the airport heavily relies on the southern runway, so it continues to be monitored and upgraded to meet the demands of growing passenger traffic.

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