Dubai Airports closes arrivals forecourt for private cars at DXB Terminal 1

Image: Dubai Airports

Dubai Airports announced a change for arriving passengers and those waiting to receive them at the international airport’s Terminal 1. The airport authority said, “only public transport and authorised vehicles will be allowed into the arrivals forecourt at Dubai International Airport’s (DXB) Terminal 1.” The change came into effect on June 8.

The change has been made to reduce vehicle congestion as Dubai Airports handles an increase in overall passenger traffic. Traffic at DXB has reached 95.6 per cent of 2019 levels with passenger numbers exceeding 21.2 million in the first quarter of the year, according to passenger data revealed earlier this month.

The decision, which came into effect on Thursday, is intended to reduce congestion in the pickup area of the DXB airport. The notification by DXB on Twitter does not state until when the rule will be in place.

From 8th June, only public transport and authorised vehicles will have access to the Arrivals forecourt in Terminal 1, to assist in reducing congestion. We advise you to use the car parks or the valet service when receiving your guests. pic.twitter.com/rBA5DCrld9

— DXB (@DXB) June 8, 2023

Those heading to Terminal 1 to receive arriving passengers are advised to use the two car parks or the valet service. The terminal is served by two car parks – Car Park A’s charges start at Dhs5 for five minutes going up to Dhs125 for the whole day while Car Park B rates start at Dhs25 and goes upto Dhs85 for a full 24 hours.

Dubai Airport welcomed 66m passengers in 2022 and is the world’s number-one airport for international passenger traffic for the ninth year running.

Dubai Airport expansion plans

The boom in air passenger traffic post the pandemic years has led to talks about the expansion of Al Maktoum Airport. The Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC) in Dubai South could be the world’s biggest upon completion.

An official tweet from Dubai South states the economic zone, “will be home to the world’s largest airport once complete, and a multi-modal transport infrastructure linking air, land, and sea.”

#DubaiSouth will be home to the world’s largest airport once complete, and a multi-modal transport infrastructure linking air, land, and sea. Along with the advantages of a business-friendly free zone, it will also provide a diverse range of residential options. pic.twitter.com/opI5PoJFmr

— Dubai South (@Dubai_South) June 5, 2023

DWC began cargo operations in 2010, and opened for passenger travel in 2013. Expansion plans put the capacity at 260 million passengers upon completion in 2050. Phase 1 is scheduled to be completed by 2030 and will handle up to 130 million passengers.