The Emirates Southern Runway closure at Dubai International Airport commenced on April 16th 2019. The closure was planned to take place during one of the quieter operational times of the year and will last until the end of May 2019. The aim of revamp is to increasing the long-term capacity of Dubai International Airport and maintaining a high levels of service. The improvements will also ensure the runway is ready for the Expo 2020 Dubai which will see a significant influx of visitors during that period.
Customers travelling during this period were encouraged to arrive to the airport early, and build in enough time to check in, pass through immigration and get to their gates. Customers were also advised to arrive to the airport at least three hours before their flight departures. Passengers can still check-in as normal up to 24 hours ahead of their flights at the airport. They can also check-in online from 48 hours to 90 minutes ahead of their departure.
Meticulous planning went on behind the scenes for over a year prior to the closure to ensure minimal delays and customer inconvenience. This included collaboration across functions ranging from Flight Operations, Emirates Airport Services, Emirates SkyCargo, Emirates Flight Catering, Service Delivery, Engineering, Commercial Operations and Planning, Contingency Response teams, dnata as well as with external stakeholders.
