Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travelers, will temporarily close one of its two runways for upgrades phased over three days in May for maintenance and upgrade work.
The hub will close its northern runway from 5pm to 7pm UAE local time on Friday May 24, from 4pm to 7pm on Sunday May 26, and from 5pm to 7pm on Monday May 27, operator Dubai Airports said in a statement on Thursday.
"Dubai Airports has worked closely with airlines to reschedule approximately 91 flights, while 12 flights will be moved to Dubai World Central during the period," a Dubai Airports spokesperson said.
The latest development comes amid a 45-day closure of the airport's southern runway from April 16 to May 30 that temporarily reduced capacity at the home base of Emirates airlines, the world's biggest long-haul carrier, and low-cost sister airline Flydubai.
Dubai Airports said passengers travelling on these dates should check their flight times before heading to the airport and check with their airlines for any updates.
“This has impacted the arrival and departure timings of some Emirates flights operating during this period,” an Emirates spokeswoman said. “Passengers travelling on the mentioned dates should check their flight times before heading to the airport.”
A spokesperson for flydubai said affected passengers are being accommodated on the next available flight or offered a refund.
Dubai International Airport recorded a 2.2 per cent drop in passenger traffic during the first quarter of this year mainly due to fewer flights after the grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets and a shift in the timing of Easter holidays. It handled 22.2 million travellers in the first three months of the year.
