DUBAI, UAE – 01 October 2020 – Dubai Airports today marked the 60th anniversary of the official opening of Dubai International (DXB). The occasion celebrates a remarkable success story driven by Dubai Airports’ ‘future forward’ thinking that has seen DXB emerge as the world’s leading airport. Since opening on 30 September 1960, DXB has served 1.115 billion passengers travelling on more than 7.47 million flights connecting over 240 destinations in 95 countries across the globe.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Airports said: “From the outset, DXB has been a catalyst for growth. Dubai International was born from the vision of the late HH Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum who understood the vast potential of aviation and had the foresight to build the airport and promote an Open Skies policy. That vision was carried forward strongly by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who effectively positioned Dubai as a global aviation leader. DXB, which is at the centre of Dubai’s proud aviation history, is testimony to the fact that great things can be achieved through vision, forward-thinking, innovation, collaboration and hard work. Over the next half a century, we will continue to strengthen our role in connecting the world and supporting the social and economic development of Dubai.”

60 years of achievement

DXB’s history is replete with examples of forward thinking and aviation firsts. It was the first airport in the Middle East to feature a gated terminal, along with the largest Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower when Sheikh Rashid terminal opened in 2000, and the first to launch e-gates in 2002. In 2008, it opened the largest airport terminal in the world (Terminal 3) and three years later the world’s first concourse purpose-built for the A380 (Concourse A). It is home to the world’s leading international airline and duty-free retail operation. DXB became the world’s busiest international airport in 2014 and welcomed its billionth passenger in December 2018.

Preparing for the next 50 years

In line with the vision and strategy of UAE’s leaders, Dubai Airports is not resting on its laurels and is focused on furthering its progress in the next 50 years and beyond.

“Each year brings new challenges and opportunities,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports. “Today we are working our way through a crisis and our recovery is well underway. DXB now serves 51% of the destinations, in 77% of the countries, and 58% of the airlines it did pre-COVID-19. We continue to advocate for standard protocols around the world that are key to safeguarding passengers’ wellbeing and accelerating the recovery of international travel. The development of a rapid COVID-19 test on departure is one such solution.

“While we are fully focused on managing our today, we have strongly set our sights on consolidating our leadership in the future. We are constantly exploring new approaches and technologies that can help us offer even more seamless, secure and rewarding travel experiences,” added Griffiths.

Dubai Airports is actively pursuing a number of initiatives to restore consumer confidence and enhance the travel experience, including airport interior design innovations, the use of single ID biometrics to facilitate contact-less travel and an e-commerce platform that will bring added choice and convenience to travellers.

“We will continue to work with the sector to boost consumer confidence and raise DXB’s capacity as traffic grows,” continued Griffiths. “While we can’t predict how long it will take for the industry to fully recover, I am optimistic that when the world will open up, the desire to travel will be stronger than ever.  Dubai Airports and the entire aviation community here will be ready, just as we have been in the past 60 years.”

Dubai, UAE – July 13, 2020:  As part of its preparations for the ramp up of passenger flights, Dubai Airports has announced a strategic partnership with OSN, the region’s leading entertainment provider, to give passengers at Dubai International (DXB) complimentary access to OSN’s new streaming app, from July 7, 2020.

As the top ranked international airport welcomes customers back through its doors following the resumption of scheduled services, the partnership has been developed to provide premium and exclusive entertainment to travellers on their journey through DXB.

Eugene Barry, Executive Vice President of Commercial at Dubai Airports said of the partnership; “We are responding to the changing behaviour and expectations of our customers, and the demand for quality, exclusive digital content is a trend that we see growing in importance. We are delighted to partner with one of the region’s most popular online entertainment providers and are excited to offer OSN’s new digital platform to our travellers. The OSN streaming app, now available to all DXB customers, continues to build on the capabilities of our popular WOW-Fi platform, and further strengthens our commitment to deliver a unique customer experience at DXB.”

The streaming service provides exclusive access to original content from DISNEY+, HBO, Universal, and many other major Hollywood studios in addition to Arabic and documentaries.

OSN’s enviable streaming library also boasts thousands of hours of universally acclaimed blockbuster movies, trending series, box-sets, kids content, award winning documentaries, and more. Travellers will be able to connect to OSN’s new streaming app through a link on the DXB super-fast WOW-FI and will have complimentary access for 24 hours.  

“DXB is the busiest international airport in the world and we are thrilled to be offering world-class entertainment on our OSN streaming service to every traveller passing through the airport. We saw a great strategic fit in this partnership, reflecting our mutual commitment to excellence, growth and bigger reach across the Middle East and North Africa,” said Zahra Zayat, Senior Vice President, Telco & OTT at OSN. “Travel and content consumption complement one another, and through this collaboration, we will be able to provide travellers with access to premium content and showcase our platform. If you are one of those who arrive at the airport early, or if you’re looking to pass the time in transit, be sure that you will find plenty of options to choose from through our OSN streaming app.”

The service, in addition to DXB’s extensive dining, retail and leisure offerings further reinforces the airport’s position as the world’s leading airport for international passengers.

Dubai International (DXB) has made it convenient for travellers to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) on the go with the installation of two PPE vending machines at the airport. Located in the departure areas of DXB’s Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, the vending machines dispense PPE kits containing a mask and a pair of gloves, and also offers two varieties of sanitisers. More products are expected to be added in the coming days, including European-made and certified reusable face masks. In addition to cargo and repatriation flights, which continued throughout the COVID-19 related suspension of operations since March 24, DXB is handling a number of scheduled passenger flights from Terminal 3 to select destinations from May 21.