While people around the world were just about forgetting the way in which the industries in middle-east invest humungous amounts of money in many of their projects (Read Burj Khalifa), the Ruler of Dubai announced a plan which shall again leave a lasting impact on the minds of everyone reading or knowing about the same. Dubai’s ruler endorsed a US$ 32 Billion or $A35 Billion (yes billion, not million) expansion plan for Dubai’s second airport which eventually aims at making it the biggest airport across the planet. Such projects don’t dare even cross the minds of investors placed at different geographical locations.

The second Airport, which will be known as Al-Maktoum International at Dubai world central is said have a capacity of handling more than 200 million passengers a year. It might just turn out to be another tourist attraction for people having any plans to visit Dubai. Another “The biggest” in the list of attractions one will find in the Middle East, it will become the first attraction even for e people having a stopover flight in Dubai. So you are going somewhere with a stoppage at Dubai of an hour? You will land directly onto one of Dubai’s attractions straight off. No plans required for this one.

The first phase itself will be equipped to handle 120 million passengers a year and 100 Airbus A380 double decker birds at a given time (Makes you wonder if Airbus will have to buy a new manufacturing facility). The busiest airport handled around 94 million passengers last year. The first phase is expected to be completed within the next 6 to 8 years with two runways and two large concourses to house aircraft gates.

According to Paul Griffiths (Chief executive of this mammoth project), however aggressive this time frame might sound, they will be able to deliver in time. The project shall eventually enclose 5 runways, spaced well apart to operate simultaneously and enough openings for over 100 planes at a time. The other Dubai airport (the main one currently) is the seventh largest airport in the world, definitely not Dubai’s place we conclude by looking at the scale of this new airport.

So to put things in perspective: five runways operating simultaneously, a capacity of around 100 Airbus A380, capability of handling over 200 million passengers a year, the first phase to take around 8 years and all this to meet the growing Air traffic primarily built by Emirates, the largest consumer of Boeing 777 long-haul jets and Airbus A380 aircrafts.

The in-house Airline, Emirates, is said to move to the new airport post the completion of the first phase, leaving behind a large space for other carriers at the old airport. The industry contributes over 22 billion dollars towards the economy and provides over 250,000 jobs. Dubai is still recovering from the financial crisis they were bailed out from by the neighbouring city of Abu Dhabi. The aviation industry looks promising to investors there to take them out of the billion dollars debt they are under, especially the state linked corporations.

The announcement of this high stakes project comes at a time when Emirates is under tremendous pressure of debt and experts have already warned the state of another Property bubble forming. Only time will tell if this project shall successfully operate the biggest airport of the world, or shall pile up the biggest debt any state has ever had. Whatever might be the case, wait till Dubai gives you another “The biggest in the world” pretty soon.