DCA forwards critical advices to DIA users during the summer rush

The DCA's call comes at a time when, with the onset of summer in the country, residents begin travelling to destinations across the globe for their summer vacations.

In a statement issued yesterday the Department sought to reach out to passengers with information on the airport's ultramodern facilities such as the self check-in counters for Emirates passengers and the use of e-Gate card for quicker immigration and passport control process, and advice and Dos and Don'ts about various issues related to the airport.

Pointing out factors such as the peak season rush and new regulations on time limit for closure of check in counters and flight departures, the DCA statement urged passengers departing from Dubai International Airport to report at least three hours prior to the given time for departure so as to facilitate smooth and quick traffic handling.

It is also important that passengers travelling from Dubai know that off the nine check-in areas at Terminal 1, Areas 1 and 2 are dedicated for Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines, 3 for British Airways, Lufthansa and Swiss Air, Area 4 for Gulf Air and 5 for Qatar Airways.

The DCA also reminded passengers that in line with the new international regulation followed by most airlines around the world, any unit of baggage must not weigh over 32 Kg. Weighing their baggage keeping the regulation in mind will help reduce any inconvenience and also facilitate faster transfers, the statement said.

Visitors at the airport who come to see off friends and relatives have been provided with a number of facilities, which while they offer convenience to the users, also contribute to the overall performance of the airport. Visitors have been advised by the DCA not to block access to the departure area after dropping off passengers. Visitors can use the valet parking service which allows them to see off their friends and relatives without occupying and blocking the passenger drop off area, the statement said.

Considering that as much as 60 per cent of the passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport is generated by Emirates, the carrier provides a number of latest facilities for the convenience of passengers.

With the introduction of the quick baggage drop service and additional self-service check-in kiosks, Emirates passengers departing from Dubai International Airport have more options for check-in. Passengers with electronic (ATB2 tickets, which are machine-readable), members of Emirates' Skywards and its partner frequent flyer programmes, can check-in, select their seats and print their own boarding passes via the carrier's self-service kiosks at the airport.

Those carrying only hand-luggage can then proceed directly to immigration, while those with baggage can check in their luggage at the dedicated quick baggage drop counters.

The carrier has also increased the number of self-service kiosks at Airport from the earlier four to 11 now. Four of the kiosks are located in the Economy Class check-in area while seven in the First and Business Class check-in area dedicated for Emirates.

The self-service check-in kiosks are popular with business travellers since their introduction three years ago, when the service was available only to those travelling with hand-baggage.

To further enhance passenger comfort and smoothen and speed up passenger flow Emirates has also introduced the 24 hour advance check in facility for all its flights.

On the issue of passport control and immigration processing, the DCA noted that there are a total of 48 counters for arrivals, of which 40 were normal, while four were e-Gate (electronic). There are in all 30 counters in the departure area, 28 of which are normal and two are electronic. The average maximum time for completion of the process - from the yellow line to the pass through, is not more than a minute per passenger, while it takes about thirty seconds in most cases.

"The Dubai Airport Cares Team is constantly looking into services and facilities provided for passengers and works to enhance their efficiency," said Jamal Al Hai, Director of Strategy and Management Excellence Department at the DCA and sponsor of the team.

He said that the DCA is doing its best during the peak summer rush to make travelling from or through Dubai International Airport simpler, convenient and quicker. He added, "In order to meet the demand of increasing number of travellers and airlines, Dubai is executing a major US $ 4.1 billion expansion plan for the Dubai International Airport and its affiliated divisions. Designed to turn the Airport into an even more user-friendly and efficient airport, the expansion programme will maintain the Emirate's position as the aviation and business hub of the region."

Over the last decade passenger flow has risen by 125 per cent - from 4.3 million in 1988 to 9.7 million in 1998. Ranked the second fastest growing airport in the world by the ACI traffic statistics for 2002, the Dubai International Airport catered to 18 million passengers in 2003. In 2004 the Airport attracted 21.7 million and according to projections, some 60 million passengers are expected by 2010.

Al Hai noted that the new expansion programme includes construction of Terminal 3, concourse 2 and concourse 3 all dedicated for Emirates airline and a Mega Cargo Terminal. Construction work for Terminal 3, concourse 2 and concourse 3 is scheduled to be completed by 2006.

With the completion of this phase, Dubai International Airport will have the capacity to handle close to 70 million passengers a year, its present capacity being 22 million, he added.