UK architect to help the planet’s biggest airport make money

UK-based Leslie Jones Architecture has been commissioned by Dubai Airports to advise on the commercial design strategy for the future Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central (DWC). 

The $32bn expansion of DWC will ultimately accommodate more than 200 million passengers a year, making it the world’s biggest airport. 

A $7.8bn expansion programme is already underway at Dubai’s other airport, Dubai International, which is the world’s busiest aviation hub for international traffic, with 70.4 million passengers recorded in 2014. 

Leslie Jones’ brief is to ensure that premium retail space is effectively planned so that airport businesses are well placed to engage the eventual flood of global travellers. 

Simon Scott, the firm’s head of international business, will lead the project. He previously worked on Heathrow Terminal 5 and Dubai International’s Concourse A. 

Eugene Barry, EVP Commercial Group at Dubai Airports said: "Our vision for the future airport is to create a travel environment which is customer-focused and space-efficient, proactively supporting non-aeronautical commercial opportunities though successful partnerships and concepts appropriate to a development of this magnitude.   

"Leslie Jones has been appointed to bring their expertise in specialist mixed-use schemes to our newest development project." 

Image: Artist’s depiction of Al Maktoum International Airport (http://www.lesliejones.co.uk)