Dubai Airports to close DXB’s northern runway for 45 days

Dubai Airports has confirmed its plan to close Dubai International’s (DXB) northern runway for a 45-day period.

The closure, which will be from May 9 until June 22, 2022, is to carry out a complete refurbishment that will ensure safety and efficient operations, a statement said.

Regular runway maintenance is scheduled on a weekly basis, but extensive upgrades require a complete closure of the runway.

The southern runway underwent similar improvements in 2019, while this level of refurbishment was last carried out on the northern runway in 2014.

Read: Dubai airport’s northern runway to also briefly close for maintenance

While the hub will continue to welcome visitors during the closure period, a number of flights will be redirected to Dubai World Central (DWC) to limit the impact on service.

Dubai Airports has informed all airlines in advance to plan for flight reductions and schedule accordingly. Meanwhile, it has also advised passengers due to travel into or out of Dubai during the closure period to check with their respective airlines regarding relevant details ahead of their journeys.

Customer traffic at Dubai International Airport is expected to hit 57 million in 2022, spurred by global moves to free up travel for vaccinated passengers, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said in a Bloomberg Television interview. That compares with 29.1 million people last year.

Read: Dubai Airports sees travel surge this year, full rebound by 2024