{"id":2522,"date":"2015-02-25T11:37:10","date_gmt":"2015-02-25T11:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dutyfreehunter.com\/blog\/?p=2522"},"modified":"2015-03-06T14:24:03","modified_gmt":"2015-03-06T14:24:03","slug":"dubai-international-airport-duty-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dutyfreehunter.com\/blog\/dubai-international-airport-duty-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai International Airport Duty Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]Match any journey through Dubai International\u00a0Airport to the duty free and luxury shopping available on departure, inflight and on arrival with Duty Free Hunter<\/a>.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

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Dubai International Airport<\/b> (IATA<\/a>: DXB<\/b>,\u00a0ICAO<\/a>: OMDB<\/b>) (Arabic<\/a>: \u0645\u0637\u0627\u0631 \u062f\u0628\u064a \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0648\u0644\u064a<\/span>\u200e) is a major international airport<\/a> located in Dubai<\/a>, United Arab Emirates<\/a>, and is the world’s busiest airport<\/a> by international passenger traffic.\u00a0It is a major airline hub<\/a> in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai.\u00a0It is situated in the Al Garhoud<\/a> district, 2.5 nautical miles<\/a> (4.6\u00a0km; 2.9\u00a0mi) east\u00a0of Dubai.\u00a0The airport is operated by the Dubai Airports Company<\/a> and is the home base of Dubai’s international airlines, Emirates<\/a>, FlyDubai<\/a> and Emirates SkyCargo<\/a>; the Emirates hub is the largest airline hub in the Middle East; Emirates now handles 64 per cent of all passenger traffic, and accounts for about 50 per cent of all aircraft movements at the airport.\u00a0Dubai Airport is also the base for low-cost carrier<\/a>, flydubai<\/a> which handles 10.7 per cent of passenger traffic at DXB.\u00a0<\/span>The airport became a secondary hub for Qantas<\/a> in April 2013.\u00a0The airport consists of three terminals and has a total capacity of 75 million passengers annually. Terminal 3 is the second largest building in the world by floor space<\/a> and the largest airport terminal in the world.\u00a0As of January 2015, there are over 8,000 weekly flights operated by 140 airlines to over 270 destinations across every continent except Antarctica<\/a>,\u00a0one of only seven airports outside Europe doing so.<\/p>\n

Dubai International Airport is spread over an area of 7,200 acres (2,900\u00a0ha) of land. In 2014 DXB became the world’s busiest airport by international passenger traffic, handling 70.48 million passengers.\u00a0In addition to being an important passenger traffic hub, the airport handled 2.37 million tonnes of cargo and 357,339 aircraft movements.<\/p>\n

Dubai International is an important contributor to the Dubai economy, employing approximately 90,000 people, indirectly supports over 400,000 jobs and contributes over US$26.7 billion to the economy, which represents around 27 per cent of Dubai\u2019s GDP and 21 percent of the employment in Dubai.\u00a0It is predicted that by 2020 the economic contribution of Dubai\u2019s aviation sector will rise to 37.5 per cent of the city’s GDP, and by 2030, the economic impact of aviation is projected to grow to $88.1 billion and support 1.95 million jobs in Dubai or 44.7% of the GDP and 35.1% of the total employment.<\/p>\n

Terminals<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dubai International Airport has four terminals. Terminal 1 has one concourse, Terminal 2 is set apart from the other two main buildings and Terminal 3 is divided into Concourse A and B. The cargo terminal is capable of handling 3\u00a0million tonnes of cargo annually and a general aviation<\/a> terminal (GAT) is close by.\u00a0In 2015, a fourth concourse will open (Concourse D) and will see all airlines currently operating from concourse C shift operations there. Thus, concourse A, B, and C will become part of Terminal 3 and concourse D will be part of Terminal 1.<\/p>\n

Passenger terminals<\/span><\/h4>\n

Dubai Airport has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 are directly connected with a common transit area, with airside passengers being able to move freely between the terminals without going through immigration, while Terminal 2 is on the opposite side of the airport. For transiting passengers, a shuttle service runs between the terminals, with a journey time of around 20 minutes from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, and 30 minutes to Terminal 3.\u00a0Passengers in Terminal 3 who need to transfer between concourse A and the rest of the Terminal have to travel via an Automated People Mover. In 2015 when concourse D is complete, passengers will be required to use another Automated People Mover to connect to concourse D from Terminal 1.<\/p>\n

Situated beside Terminal 2 is the Executive Flights Terminal, which has its own check-in<\/a> facilities for premium passengers and where transportation to aircraft in any of the other terminals is by personal buggy.<\/p>\n

The three passenger terminals have a total handling capacity of around 80\u00a0million passengers a year.<\/p>\n

Terminals 1 and 3 cater to international passengers, whilst Terminal 2 is for budget passengers and passengers flying to the Sub-Continent and Persian Gulf region; Terminals 1 and 3 handle 85 per cent of the passenger traffic; and the Executive Flights terminal are for the higher end travellers and important guests.<\/p>\n

Terminal 1<\/span><\/h4>\n

Terminal 1 has a capacity of 22\u00a0million passengers. It is used by over a 100 airlines and is connected to Concourse C, the so-called, 1\u00a0km (0.62\u00a0mi) long Sheikh Rashid Terminal by an underground, 300\u00a0m (980\u00a0ft) long tunnel. It is spread over an area of 520,000\u00a0m2<\/sup> (5,600,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) and offers 221 check in counters.<\/p>\n

The Terminal was originally built to handle 18\u00a0million passengers, however with extreme congestion at the terminal, the airport was forced to expand the terminal to accommodate with the opening of 28 remote gates. Over the years, more mobile gates were added to the airport bringing the total as of 2010 to 28.<\/p>\n

In 2013, Dubai Airports announced a major renovation for Terminal 1 and concourse C. The renovations include upgraded baggage systems, replacement of check-in desks, and a more spacious departure hall. Arrivals will also see improvements to help reduce waiting times. The renovation is expected to be completed by the middle of 2015.<\/p>\n

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Concourse C<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n

Concourse C, part of Terminal 1, was opened in 2000 and used to be the largest concourse at Dubai International Airport before Concourse B in Terminal 3 opened. It incorporates 50 gates, including 28 air bridges<\/a> and 22 remote gates located at a lower level of the terminal. The gates are labelled C1 \u2013 C50.<\/p>\n

The concourse includes over 17 food and beverage cafes and restaurants, with the food court<\/a> being located on the Departures Level. Also located in the concourse is a 5 star hotel<\/a>, and a 5,400\u00a0m2<\/sup> (58,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) duty-free shopping<\/a> facility. Other facilities include prayer rooms, and a medical centre.\u00a0Emirates continues to maintain a presence in Concourse C, operating 12 gates there as well as the Emirates first<\/a> Class and Business Class Lounges at the Terminal.\u00a0<\/span>Other airline lounges include the Gulf Air<\/a>, British Airways<\/a>, KLM<\/a> and the Star Alliance<\/a> have their own dedicated lounges.<\/p>\n

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Concourse D<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n

Planning begun for further expansion of Dubai Airport, with the construction of Terminal 4, it was revealed on the day Emirates completed its phased operations at the new Terminal 3, on 14 November 2008.\u00a0According to Dubai Airport officials, plans for Terminal 4 had begun and extensions would be made to Terminal 3. These are required to bring the capacity of the airport to 80\u201390 million passengers a year by 2015.<\/p>\n

In May 2011, Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports revealed the Dubai Airport masterplan. It involves the construction of a Concourse D (previously Terminal 4). With a capacity of 15 million, it would bring the total capacity of the airport to 90 million passengers by 2018 \u2013 an increase of 15\u00a0million. It also will see Emirates<\/a> take over the operation at Concourse C, along with concourse A and B which it will already be operating. All remaining airlines will shift to Concourse D, or move to Al Maktoum International Airport<\/a>. The airport projects that international passenger and cargo traffic will increase at an average annual growth rate of 7.2 per cent and 6.7 per cent respectively and that by 2020 passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport will reach 98.5 million and cargo volumes will top 4.1 million tonnes.<\/p>\n

Terminal 2<\/span><\/h4>\n
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Terminal 2 built in 1998 has an area of 47,000\u00a0m2<\/sup> (510,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) and has a capacity of 10\u00a0million as of 2013, after several, decent reconstructions and a major expansion in 2012 which saw capacity double. It is used by over 50 airlines, mainly operating in the Persian Gulf region. Most flights operate to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India and Afghanistan.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In June 2009, Terminal 2 became the hub of Air India Express<\/a> & Flydubai<\/a>,\u00a0and the terminal houses the airline’s corporate head office.<\/p>\n

Terminal 2 has undergone a major refurbishment recently, extending check-in and boarding facilities, changing the interior and exterior d\u00e9cor and offering more dining choices to passengers. Capacity was increased to allow for 10\u00a0million passengers, an increase of 5\u00a0million.<\/p>\n

The terminal has now increased the number of facilities available to passengers. Check-in counters<\/a> have increased to 37.The boarding area is more spacious, with more natural light. Also the new open boarding gates allow several flights to board simultaneously, improving passenger and aircraft movements. There are a total of 43 remote stands at the terminal. However passengers cannot move between Terminal 2 to 1 or from 2 to 3 and vice verse inside the airport. They have to make use of Taxi service or public transport facility available in plenty outside. Passengers can also make us of Buses outside the Terminal-1 to reach the nearest Metro Station from where you can travel to any other place as it being a cost effective solution. But be sure to have nol-Card (prepaid) before boarding any public transport in Dubai, incidentally they will not sell this card any where near the Airport.<\/p>\n

The Dubai duty-free shopping area covers 2,400\u00a0m2<\/sup> (26,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) in departures and 540\u00a0m2<\/sup> (5,800\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) in arrivals. The 3,600\u00a0m2<\/sup> (39,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) extension included a larger arrivals hall as well.<\/p>\n

Terminal 3<\/span><\/h4>\n
The partly underground Terminal 3 was built at a cost of US$8\u00a0billion, exclusively for Emirates and has a capacity of 47\u00a0million passengers. The terminal has 5 Airbus A380<\/a> gates at Concourse B, and 18 at Concourse A.\u00a0It was announced on 6 September 2012 that Terminal 3 would no longer be Emirates exclusive, as Emirates and Qantas had set up an extensive code sharing agreement. Qantas would be the second and only one of two airlines to fly in and out of Terminal 3. This deal also allows Qantas to use the A380 dedicated concourse.<\/div>\n

Upon completion, Terminal 3 was the largest building in the world<\/a> by floor space, with over 1,713,000\u00a0m2<\/sup> (18,440,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) of space, capable of handling 60\u00a0million passengers in a year. A large part is located under the taxiway area and is directly connected to Concourse B: the departure and arrival halls in the new structure are 10\u00a0m (33\u00a0ft) beneath the airport’s apron. Concourse A is connected to the terminal via an APM.\u00a0It has been operational since 14 October 2008, and opened in four phases to avoid collapse of baggage handling and other IT systems.<\/p>\n

The building includes a multi level underground structure, first<\/a> and business class lounges, restaurants, 180 check-in counters<\/a> and 2,600 car-parking spaces. The terminal offers more than double the previous retail area of concourse C, by adding about 4,800\u00a0m2<\/sup> (52,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) and Concourse B’s 10,700\u00a0m2<\/sup> (115,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) of shopping facilities.<\/p>\n

In arrivals, the terminal contains 72 immigration counters, and 14 baggage carousels<\/a>.[94]<\/a><\/sup>[95]<\/a><\/sup> The baggage handling system<\/a> \u2013 the largest system and also the deepest in the world \u2013 has a capacity to handle 8,000 bags per hour. The system includes 21 screening injection points, 49 make-up carousels, 90\u00a0km (56\u00a0mi) of conveyor belts capable of handling 15,000 items per hour at a speed of 27\u00a0km\/h (17\u00a0mph), and 4,500 early baggage storage positions.\u00a0The car park includes 1,870 car spaces, 168 car rental spaces, and 45 Emirates bus spaces.<\/p>\n

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Concourse A<\/dt>\n<\/dl>\n

Concourse A part of Terminal 3 has a capacity of 19 million passengers and is connected to the two major public levels of Terminal 3 via an automated people mover (APM) in addition to the vehicular and baggage handling system utility tunnels for further transfer. The concourse opened on 2 January 2013 and was built at a cost of US$3.3\u00a0billion.\u00a0The building, which follows the characteristic shape of Concourse B, 924\u00a0m (3,031\u00a0ft) long, 91\u00a0m (299\u00a0ft) wide and 40\u00a0m (130\u00a0ft) high in the centre from the apron level, and accommodates 20 air bridge gates, of which all are capable of handling the Airbus A380-800<\/a>.\u00a0There is also 6 remote lounges for passengers departing on flights parked at 13 remote stands. The gates in concourse A are labelled A1- A24.<\/p>\n

The concourse includes one 4 star hotel<\/a> and one 5 star hotel<\/a>, first<\/a> and business class lounges, and duty-free areas. The total built-up area is 540,000\u00a0m2<\/sup> (5,800,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft).\u00a0The concourse allows for multi-level boarding and boasts the largest first and business class lounges in the world. Each lounge has its own dedicated floor offering direct aircraft access from the lounges.\u00a0The total amount of retail space at the concourse is 11,000\u00a0m2<\/sup>(120,000\u00a0sq\u00a0ft), and there is also a total of 14 cafe’s and restaurants.<\/p>\n