A major airport is set to close in the coming years, affecting flights from Gatwick Airport.
Dubai International Airport (DXB), which is the busiest in the world, is set to relocate to a new site.
All services will eventually move to the brand new Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), according to Dubai Airport's CEO Paul Griffiths.
The megaproject, set to cost around £25.8 billion (Dhs128 billion), will see Al Maktoum International Airport eventually become the world’s largest-capacity airport, capable of accommodating 260 million passengers annually.
When will Dubai International Airport close and move to Al Maktoum?
Operations will transition from Dubai to Al Maktoum International Airport in 2032, once DXB reaches maximum capacity, according to Time Out .
Mr Griffiths, speaking at the Dubai Airshow last year, explained: “Within two years, we’ll cross that 100 million mark and then, of course, we’re looking towards 114 million people coming through DXB by 2031."
The transition between airports will then take place in 2032, at which point Dubai International Airport will close.
Mr Griffiths said: "The current thinking is that when DXB gets to a point where we’ve got enough capacity created at DWC (Al Maktoum International Airport) to make the complete transition, that we will move every single service from DXB to DWC.
"There’s little sense in operating two major airport hubs in such close proximity, within 70 kilometers of each other.
“The other point to remember is that by then, if we’ve done our sums of calculations right, every single asset at DXB will be close to the end of its useful operating life.
“So the economics of keeping DXB open will not really be possible to do unless we invest a huge amount of money.”
Here are 40+ airlines currently operating through @DXB ️✈️
As our network grows, more carriers in addition to @Emirates and @flydubai , are continuing to connect travellers through Dubai, to destinations across the world 🌍 pic.twitter.com/Fvg7fnREdl— DXB (@DXB) May 23, 2026
The full Al Maktoum project is unlikely to be completed until around 2057, according to Time Out.
It will then likely become the world’s largest airport with a capacity of around 260 million.
An official redevelopment plan for the DXB site has not yet been confirmed.
Gatwick Airport passengers warned of long waits at holiday hotspot
The eventual Dubai Airport closure may affect Gatwick fliers in the future, but holidaymakers travelling to and from a popular European country this summer are being warned about lengthy wait times in airports.
The EU's new entry/exit system (EES) rolled out further last month, with non-EU nationals travelling in Europe now required to provide personal data and have their fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken.
The EES has received backlash since its introduction, due to it causing longer waits for passengers at airports.
It has also led to severe delays at Portuguese airports, particularly in Lisbon and Faro.
Gatwick Airport offers weekly flights to both cities every week, with multiple airlines servicing this route.
However, any passengers flying to these spots in Portugal, whether it be from Gatwick or elsewhere, are being warned about marathon wait times there.
A Portugal travel advisor, known as @travel_luckk on Instagram, said: "Last week a family I advised landed in Lisbon and stood in line for 6 hours and 40 minutes.
"Their toddler slept on a suitcase. They missed their transfer to the Algarve.
"This wasn’t bad luck. This is Portugal in 2026—and almost no one is talking about it yet."
She warned that travel through Lisbon can be particularly difficult, even more so on Monday mornings between 6am and 11am.
While Faro International Airport is one to "avoid" from May to September.
The travel expert explained: "Faro was built for 4M passengers.
"It now processes 9M+ in summer.
"Add EES on top, and arrivals from the UK and Germany regularly stall for 5+ hours."
Porto is currently a quieter and more efficient alternative, according to @travel_luckk, for entry into northern and central Portugal.
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The Portugal travel advisor said: "OPO is 40% faster through EES than Lisbon right now.
"Smaller terminal, calmer staff, fewer transatlantic dumps."
She also advised families with children under 12 to request access to the assisted lane, which could reduce wait times to around 30 minutes.
Do you have any travel plans from Gatwick Airport this summer? Let us know in the comments.
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