Dubai Airports chief outlines plans for links to smaller European cities
Paul Griffiths said longer-range, smaller aircraft would support direct connections as Dubai expands Al Maktoum International Airport.
Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths said advances in aircraft technology would allow smaller European cities to gain direct Dubai services. Speaking at a roundtable during the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Global Summit in Malta, he outlined plans for Dubai to serve more than 600 cities as Al Maktoum International Airport expands.
Griffiths named Exeter, Valencia, Lyon, Marseille and Baden Baden as examples of cities that could be linked to Dubai for onward journeys. He said narrow-body aircraft capable of longer flights would create opportunities for regional airports over the next decade or so, while stressing the need to improve their ground transport connections.
Dubai Airports announced the expansion plans in 2024, saying they would make Al Maktoum International Airport the world’s largest airport. Completion is expected by 2032. The finished airport is to have five runways, 400 terminal gates and annual capacity for up to 260 million passengers.
Griffiths also argued that governments should require sustainable aviation fuel and progressively raise its share in fuel blends, alongside encouraging private investment in production. For the new airport, he described a passenger experience centred on facial recognition, without passengers having to display passports at border checks or boarding passes. Artificial intelligence will also be used for baggage scanning.
