The Big Picture: Breaking the mould

Recently welcoming in its first flight, Concourse A at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport is the world’s first facility dedicated  to the Airbus A380 superjumbo, the world’s largest passenger aircraft.

At 650 metres long and 90 metres wide and with 11 storeys, four of them underground, 
the building is a stunning piece of architecture in its own right. It showcases a range of innovative features including automated passenger transport points for arrivals and departures, plus six additional gates for planes parked further away. Inside the airport, an internal metro system carries passengers to and from the Emirates Airline Terminal 3.

Concourse A at Dubai International Airport is the world’s first facility designed specifically for the A38

The new building has entire floors dedicated to business- and first-class passengers, allowing them to board directly from the lounge facilities. Dubai International’s annual passenger capacity will increase from 60 million to 75 million when Concourse A is fully operational. Aviation leaders predict 100 million passengers will use it a year by 2025, which would make it the world’s largest airport. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, heralded the opening of Concourse A as a huge achievement for Dubai Airports and its partners.


“Concourse A is another critical element of the US$7.8bn Strategic Plan 2020 which includes the expansion of Dubai International to accommodate the tremendous growth we expect over the next decade.

“Passenger numbers are forecast to reach 66 million in 2013 and the opening of Concourse A is a timely and welcome addition to Dubai International, putting us firmly on track to reach our target of becoming the world’s best and largest airport in terms of service and international passenger numbers.

“Just as we did with what turned out to be a flawless opening of Terminal 3 and Concourse B in 2008 – which was a much larger and more complex exercise involving the complete transfer of Emirates Airline’s operations to the new facility – we are opening Concourse A in stages, with more gates coming online in each successive phase. We believe that this approach of gradual transition will enable us and all our partners to ensure smooth operations and help us to deliver on our customer service commitment.”