Dubai Airports to add 10 new A380 stands to Dubai International’s Concourse C

In an attempt to accommodate Emirates growing fleet of Airbus 380s, Dubai Airports has agreed to increase the current three A380 gates on Concourse C to thirteen. This improvement means Dubai’s airport will be able to handle more A380s than any other worldwide, with an overall total of 47 gates airport-wide.
With the merging of Concourse C with Terminal 3 subsequent to the opening of the $1.2bn concourse D in February, Qantas and Emirates are now the sole operators on concourse C. It is anticipated that the update to the concourse will be completed after the beginning of the third quarter, 2018.
This latest development follows the DBX Plus program developed to boost airport capacity to 118 million passengers per annum by 2023, yet without the creation of any major new infrastructure.
The refurbishment of Concourse C will see redesigned gate hold rooms, an increase in airport lounge space, and “ambient enhancements.” According to Bryan Thompson, SVP of development at Dubai Airports, “Considering the traffic growth at Dubai International and the central role the airport will continue to play for the aviation sector as well as Dubai’s economy over the next 10 years, it is vital that we provide additional capacity while enhancing our customer service. We believe this first project under DXB Plus will deliver on both fronts.”
Currently Emirates have a combined total of 140 airbus A380s either in service or on order, while Qantas has 12 A380s in service.