Dubai, UAE – February 9, 2016 – Residents of the UAE who participated in the first operational readiness trial of Dubai International’s Concourse D on Saturday, have given the AED 3.3 billion facility their seal of approval.
The major trial follows months of comprehensive trials and tests involving staff and stakeholders and paves the way for opening of the new facility, which is designed to meet the needs of the 70 plus international network carriers at DXB’s newly renovated Terminal 1.
The result of a collaborative effort led by Dubai Airports and involving a number of its main partners – including airlines, the Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, dnata and control authorities such as Dubai Police, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and Dubai Customs, among others – the trial was aimed at determining the readiness of staff, systems and processes by simulating a typical airport operation at the new facility.
Some 2,000 volunteers including men, women, children, senior citizens and individuals with special needs, volunteered to play the role of passengers arriving at, departing from and transiting through Concourse D, testing way-finding signage and the flow of passenger traffic within the new building. Trial participants also secured a first look and taste of the tantalising array of retail and food & beverage outlets featured in the concourse.
“I would like to thank all the volunteers for taking time out on their weekend and bringing their families along to help us get the new concourse ready for opening,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.
“The final element of our $7.8 billion Strategic Plan 2020, Concourse D is a timely welcome addition to Dubai International. It’s a facility designed around the needs and comfort our customers, who will surely notice and appreciate the short walking distances to boarding gates, and the accessible layout of a wide variety of world class food and retail offerings” he said.
Concourse D will increase DXB’s annual capacity from 75 million to 90 million passengers, enabling the world’s number one hub for international passengers to accommodate the ongoing rapid growth in traffic.
