Operator Dubai airports will reopen Dubai International airport's (DXB) Terminal 1 and Concourse D after a more than one year-hiatus as the regional hub prepares for a rise in global air travel demand.
The facilities are set to reopen on 24 June after they were closed on 25 March 2020 following the temporary suspension of international flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The move comes as Dubai airports anticipates the return of growth to Dubai and the UAE's air travel and tourism sectors, which should in turn boost demand for jet fuel in the country.
"This move signals our confidence that the outlook for the rest of the year and beyond is one of optimism, as well as being a clear indication of Dubai's intent to lead the aviation industry in its efforts to enable social and economic recovery of the world," Emirates chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum said.
The announcement comes after Dubai's Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said over the weekend that it was lifting an entry ban from India, Nigeria and South Africa from 23 June, albeit under strict conditions. But a ban on entry of individuals coming from eight other countries remains place, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. And the country's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announced yesterday that passenger flights arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Namibia, including inbound transit flights, will be suspended from 21 June.
Dubai's national airline Emirates also anticipates stronger air passenger demand over the summer season, announcing plans last week to ramp up operations and expand services across its network. By the end of July, Emirates plans to operate 880 weekly services across 124 destinations, by which point it says it will have recovered close to 90pc of its pre-pandemic network.
The reopening of Terminal 1 should see the gradual return of more than 40 international airlines that are currently operating out of DXB's Terminals 2 and 3. Terminal 1 has an annual capacity of 18mn passengers, according to Dubai airports, while DXB's annual capacity is about 90mn passengers or 7.5mn a month.
According to Dubai Airports DXB saw passenger traffic at 5.75mn in the first quarter, down by 68pc from around 17.8mn a year earlier but significantly higher than the 1.3mn quarterly average recorded in June-December 2020.