Dubai Al Maktoum - Airport Guide

Al Maktoum Airport – everything you need to know

Not everyone knows that Dubai has two international airports: Dubai International Airport (DXB), known worldwide, home to Emirates airline and the most important transfer hub in the Middle East. The second airport is Dubai World Central Airport (DWC), better known as Dubai Al Maktoum. It is not a popular airport in the world... yet! In the future, Dubai Al Maktoum is set to become the largest airport in the world. In a few years, this aviation giant is expected to completely replace DXB and handle up to 260 million passengers per year (with a cargo capacity of 12 million tonnes per year).

Does Al Maktoum Airport handle international flights? Yes, Dubai Al Maktoum Airport has been handling international passenger flights since October 2013. The first airlines to start operating from DWC were Wizz Air and Flynas. Previously, for over 4 years, from June 2010, the airport was used only for cargo flights. Is Al Maktoum Airport modern? Yes, DWC is one of the most modern airports in the world. It is not yet fully completed, so architects are still incorporating the latest aviation technologies into its design. The planned completion date is 2030, when all airlines will move from DXB to DWC.

What is worth knowing about Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai? Before landing, it is advisable to learn the most important facts about the airport: how many kilometres is it from DWC to Dubai? How to get from Dubai Al Maktoum to the city centre? What does Al Maktoum Airport offer to passengers?

You will find the most important information in our article – welcome to the guide to Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai.

Where is Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai?

Dubai Al Maktoum Airport is located in the south-west of Dubai, about 50 kilometres from Downtown and 30 kilometres from Dubai Marina. Al Maktoum Airport is located in the heart of the Dubai South residential, commercial and logistics complex, which is a free trade zone.

Near Dubai World Central Airport, you will find attractions such as the unique EXPO City Dubai exhibition, which was the first EXPO exhibition in the Middle East, Dubai Parks and Resorts, where you will find unique amusement parks such as Legoland Dubai, Motiongate Dubai and Real Madrid World, Love Lake, Al Quadra Lakes and the Al Marmoom Conservation Reserve, which includes a horse farm, a hotel and a café, and where you can admire the beauty of the desert and different species of wild birds.

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Al Maktoum Airport – what does the terminal look like?

The current appearance of Dubai Al Maktoum Airport is not the final design of the Dubai government. The airport is not yet 50% complete in terms of its final development plan, although it already accepts and handles passenger and cargo flights. What terminals are available at Al Maktoum Airport? There is one passenger terminal and one cargo terminal at Dubai World Central Airport. In the future, the number of terminals is to be increased as the airport expands.

The Al Maktoum Terminal looks impressive in the design visualisations. The AED 128 billion strategy announced in 2024 is set to make DWC the largest airport in the world. The Al Maktoum airport terminal in Dubai will be the most modern of all airports, and its design is intended to be not only functional but also to delight passengers with its combination of modernity and Arabic traditional motifs.

How to get to Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai?

• Bus (+metro): the F55 bus goes to Dubai Al Maktoum Airport from EXPO 2020 station (you can get to EXPO 2020 station by taking the red metro line from Dubai Marina or from downtown Dubai), the ticket price for the bus alone is 3 AED (0.7 EUR). There is also a night bus, the N55, which runs from the airport to Satwa Bus Station in Old Dubai, with stops at IBN Battuta Mall, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Burj Al Arab. At IBN Battuta Mall station, you can change to the metro. The entire journey costs 7.5 AED (1.8 EUR).
• Taxi: when you leave the airport, you will see taxis that will easily take you to the centre of Dubai. The journey to your hotel or apartment can take between 20 minutes and an hour, depending on your destination. The cost of a taxi from Dubai Airport to the city centre is approximately 100 to 150 AED (25-35 EUR), depending on your destination.
• Rental car: you can reach the city centre or your accommodation from Dubai Al Maktoum Airport by car, e.g. rented from Modena Car Rental. The journey time from DWC Airport to the centre of Dubai is approximately 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on traffic.
• Private transport: you can opt for a private transfer, which is particularly cost-effective for larger groups with large suitcases. Write to [email protected] and request a quote for a private transfer from DWC airport, specifying your arrival date, time and number of passengers and suitcases.

Transport to Al Maktoum Airport is only possible by bus (+ metro), taxi, private transport or rental car. There is no metro connection to Dubai World Central Airport, although there are plans to connect DWC Airport to the city centre by metro in the future. The fastest and most convenient method of transport at the moment is by taxi.

What are the flight connections at Al Maktoum Airport?

The number of routes from Dubai Al Maktoum Airport is limited compared to the number of flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB). Flight connections from Al Maktoum are mostly cargo flights, with fewer passenger connections. This is set to change in the future, but for now, DWC Airport serves as a cargo airport for Emirates and other airlines.

Where can we fly from DWC Airport? The charter airline Enter Air flies from Dubai Al Maktoum Airport to Poland: specifically to Katowice, Warsaw Chopin and Poznań. There are also flights to Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia (flynas and Saudi operated by flydeal), Prague (smartwings), Bucharest (HiSky), Luxembourg (Luxair), Stuttgart, Berlin and Cologne (Eurowings), Oslo (Norwegian) and Copenhagen (Norwegian). Most connections are seasonal (for the winter season).

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What services does Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai offer?

Airport services at Dubai Al Maktoum Airport will satisfy all passengers. The airport offers services such as Dubai Duty Free shops, where you can buy a wide variety of products, from alcohol and souvenirs to sweets and perfumes, restaurants and cafés such as McDonald's, Costa Coffee and Olives Restaurant, the Marhaba Lounge business lounge, as well as car rental companies, currency exchange offices and mobile phone shops.

What are the facilities at Al Maktoum Airport? The airport's infrastructure is developing and is constantly being expanded with new amenities for passengers. Transport and facilities at Al Maktoum Airport in the future will include: metro access to the airport from central Dubai, modern business lounges, a comfortable terminal with facilities for the elderly and disabled, and an extensive catering network.

Advantages of Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai

If you are wondering which is the best airport in Dubai, Al Maktoum Airport will soon be not only the best airport in Dubai, but also the most advanced and largest airport in the world. The advantages of Dubai Al Maktoum Airport are: its good location, close to Dubai Marina and far from the congested city centre, its large area, allowing for the construction of a modern terminal and the arrival of airlines from all over the world, its modern infrastructure and convenient transport links to the centre of Dubai (a metro to DWC airport is planned for the future).

Questions and answers (FAQ):

• Is Al Maktoum Airport larger than DXB?

Dubai Al Maktoum Airport is already larger than DXB in Dubai, but after completion of the reconstruction it will have an area of 70 square kilometres, which is five times larger than DXB.

• What connections does Al Maktoum Airport offer?

Dubai Al Maktoum Airport mainly handles cargo flights operated by Emirates and a small number of passenger flights, mainly charter flights, including to Poland (Warsaw, Katowice, Poznań with Enter Air), Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as regular flights to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

• How to get to Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai?

There are several ways to get to Dubai Al Maktoum Airport from Dubai: by bus + metro (first take the red metro line to EXPO 2020 station, then take the F55 bus to the airport), by night bus N55, by taxi, rental car or private transport.