L&T-Mitsubishi selected for $35bn Al Maktoum airport expansion project

Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) has selected a consortium of Indian construction and engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Japan's Mitsubishi to deliver the automated people-mover (APM) as part of the Phase I of the $35bn expansion of the Al Maktoum International Airport project, reported MEED.

The automated people-mover system will serve as a critical facility for operations at Al-Maktoum International airport. The system will run under the apron of the entire airfield and the airport’s terminals. It will consist of multiple tracks, taking passengers from the terminals to the concourses.

Four underground stations will be built as part of the first phase. The overall plan includes 14 stations across the airport.

Work on the Al Maktoum International Airport expansion continues according to the approved timeline, with Phase 1 scheduled to begin operations in 2032. 

Last month, HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, said contracts worth AED13 billion were being executed, and more than 10 million work hours had been completed over the past 15 months. 

“Strategic project contracts exceeding AED55 billion are set to be awarded in the coming months,” he stated.

“The airport is being developed to handle more than a quarter of a billion passengers annually, supporting Dubai's long-term economic growth. Under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s major projects continue to advance with steady progress and confidence,” he added.

The projects slated for contract awards include the substructure works for the Western Passenger Terminal, the fourth aircraft concourse building and the baggage handling system, in addition to the superstructure works for the Western Passenger Terminal and the first, second and third aircraft concourses.

The packages also encompass long-span structural frameworks for buildings covering about 1.5 million square metres (sq m), infrastructure works for the southern airfield area, and power generation and district cooling plants supporting the construction programme, said the report.

The award of the facade and roofing packages is also planned for this year, it added.