By Staff Reporter
50-kilometre driverless network will connect nine stations as DWC prepares to handle up to 260 million passengers annually
DUBAI: Al Maktoum International Airport is set to receive a massive 50-kilometre automated people-mover system as Dubai continues preparations to transform the airport into one of the world’s largest aviation hubs.
The driverless transport network will connect nine stations across the future airport and will use 165 automated vehicles, according to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), which has been awarded the contract for the project.
The system is expected to be completed by December 2031, ahead of the planned opening of the expanded airport in 2032.
Dubai Aviation City Corporation awarded the contract to a consortium involving MHI, MHI Mobility Engineering Services and Indian engineering and construction company Larsen & Toubro.
MHI and MHI-MESC will be responsible for designing, procuring and testing the automated vehicles and signalling systems, as well as integrating the overall network. L&T will oversee the design, procurement, testing and construction of other subsystems.
MHI said the approximately 50-kilometre network would be more than six times longer than the current longest airport automated people-mover system, the eight-kilometre Skylink at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in the United States.
The new people mover will provide an internal transport network connecting terminals and major facilities within Al Maktoum International Airport, helping passengers move efficiently across the huge airport campus.
The system is being developed as Dubai plans to expand DWC to eventually handle 260 million passengers a year.
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths has previously said the new airport will make extensive use of advanced technology, with the aim of creating a highly efficient and convenient passenger experience.
The internal people-mover network will operate separately from planned rail connections linking Al Maktoum International Airport with other parts of Dubai.
The Roads and Transport Authority is progressing plans for an Airport Express Line linking Dubai International Airport with DWC. The proposed 55-kilometre route would pass through areas including Al-Jaddaf and Al-Khail Road, with a planned station at Jumeirah Village Circle.
Other proposed connections include Etihad Rail’s high-speed railway and Dubai Metro’s planned Gold Line.
Together, the airport’s internal people mover and the planned external rail links are expected to create a highly connected transport network around Al Maktoum International Airport.
The developments underline Dubai’s ambition to make DWC a major global aviation hub while improving the speed and convenience of passenger movement both inside and outside the airport.
