Dubai International Airport
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The Dubai International Airport was built in 1959 by order of the late ruler, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and was the first airport to be built in the UAE. At that time, the airport only contained one runway, which length was 1.8 km (1.12 miles). The airport is 4 km (2.5 miles) south-east of the city center and is positioned at latitude 25° 25 N, longitude 55° 36 E. The Dubai Airport is the fastest growing airport in the Middle East and has been nominated the best airport in 2002 and 2003 by a survey carried out by IATA (International Air Transport Association).
Dubai International Airport Facilities
The Dubai Intl. Airport is continuously developing and currently has 2 terminals and accommodates 100 airlines, which connect to over 140 destinations. The airport has a meet-and-greet assistance service known as Marhaba Services [+971 (4) 224 5780].
Terminal 1 (Sheikh Rashid Terminal or Concourse 1)
This terminal is the main heart of the Dubai Airport and was reopened in April 2000 as the second stage of the airport expansion program, which began in 1997. The terminal is 0.8 km (0.5 miles) in length and connects to the check-in area by a 0.3 km (0.19 miles) underground tunnel containing moving walkway (conveyer belt / travelators). The terminal has also installed an advanced passenger clearance system, known as e-gate, which uses a smart card to electronically screen a passenger’s data. Terminal 1 comprises of five levels; the first contains the Dubai Duty Free, the second for departure, the third for arrival, and the last two levels are for the airport hotel. The terminal contains 27 boarding gates, 47 aerobridges, and a total of 36 lounges, which consist of first class, business class, airline, quiet, and regular/economy class lounges accommodate Terminal 1 travellers. It also contains a hotel, business centre, health club, exchanges, dining and entertainment facilities, internet services, medical center, post office, prayer room, and shopping at the Dubai Duty Free.
Terminal 2
The terminal was built to reduce the congestion of Terminal 1 and was opened in May 1998, as the first stage of expansion of the Dubai airport. Terminal 2 is accessible from the Al Twar Road and caters to regional, point-to-point, scheduled, chartered, and executive flights. The terminal covers an area of 12,000 square meters and has 22 check-in counters, one first and business class lounges, 1,300 square meters of duty free shopping, banking facilities, ATM machines, and restaurants.
Terminal 3
The second stage of the airport expansion involves the building of Terminal 3, Concourse 2, Concourse 3, a mega cargo terminal, flower center, and an apron area. Terminal 3 and the two concourses will be dedicated to Emirates Airlines flights. The construction began in 2002 and is set to be completed by 2006.
Transportation from the Dubai International Airport
Transportation from the airport is possible by taxi, bus, car rental, and limousine. The taxi service is provided by the government-run Dubai Transport airport taxi service, where each cab is meter-run. Airport taxis are meter cabs with a pick-up charge of Dhs. 20 (US$ 5.50) and the final fare will be calculated according to the recorded distance travelled. The Dubai Municipality public bus system costs Dhs. 3 per person and travels on bus routes 401 and 402 to either the Al Sabkha or Al Ghubaiba bus stations, passing by, or near, many of the hotels and apartments found in Dubai. There are 15 car rental companies with offices at the airport, and the majority of them provide chauffeur services. Limousine services are present at the Dubai airport through Siji Limousines and Dubai VIP Limousine Service.
Hotels and Accommodations
Terminal 1 houses the Dubai International Hotel, which is a five star hotel with 88 rooms, restaurants, G-Force health club, swimming pool, and a business and conference facilities. The hotel occupies the last 2 levels of the Shaikh Rashid Terminal and the hotel prices are per hour starting from around Dhs. 100 (US$ 27). There are three hotels within 1 km (0.62 miles) of the airport, which are the Millennium Airport Hotel, Al Bustan Rotana Hotel and Le Meridien Hotel. Other hotels can be reached by bus or car and take between 5 to 15 minutes to reach.
Other Info
The Department of Civil Aviation, whose president is Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoom, controls the Dubai International Airport. The Dubai International Airport vicinity also contains the Dubai Airport Free Zone, the Airport Expo Dubai, and the Dubai Cargo Village. The Dubai government also owns its own airlines, Emirates Airlines.