All systems go at region's largest airport

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Al Maktoum International Airport, the region’s largest airport and focal point of the massive 140km² $33bn Dubai World Central urban aviation community, received its first aircraft during operational tests yesterday.

Emirates Flight EK9883, a Boeing 777 cargo plane operating Hong Kong-Dubai and piloted by Captain Ahmad Bin Huzaim and First Officer Nabil Yousuf Ahmad Mohammad Rai Al Boom, touched down at 1650 local time yesterday.

"This is an important milestone, not only for the airport's certification process, but as another step towards achieving Dubai's vision to become the pre-eminent centre for aviation worldwide," said HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Airports.

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"It's also a testament to the cooperation and dedication of all of the organisations and stakeholders involved, who have done an impressive job of building and preparing Phase 1 of the facility for launch in a very short time frame," Maktoum said.

Phase 1 of the airport project includes an Airbus A380 capable runway, 64 remote stands, one cargo terminal with annual capacity for 250,000 tonnes of cargo and a passenger terminal building designed to accommodate five million passengers per year. Other construction work includes a utilities complex, a 10km underground cargo tunnel to Jebel Ali port, baggage and cargo handling facilities, and other amenities.

When completed, Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International will be the largest airport in the world with five runways, four terminal buildings and the capacity to cope with 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo annually. Passenger operations will begin at the end of March 2011.