Dubai could shut int'l airport to boost super-hub

[DUBAI] Dubai International airport, which is being expanded to handle 90 million passengers a year, could be shut to boost traffic at a new super-hub under construction in the sheikdom with as much as twice that capacity.

Dubai Airports won't retain the existing base if owning two hubs hampers the take-up of flights at its new Al Maktoum site, and could find "alternative purposes" for the prime real estate, chief executive officer Paul Griffiths said.

The airport authority is accelerating construction of Al Maktoum in a push to persuade main customer Emirates to move in before 2025, and could lift capacity to 200 million passengers a year to boost its appeal, Mr Griffiths said. Talks are under way with at least three more prospective customers for the facility, which opens this month and has so far attracted only Hungarian discount carrier Wizz Air Ltd as a firm client, he noted.