Now fully operational, Dubai’s Terminal 3 (T3) is the new home of Emirates Airlines and the world’s single largest terminal building.
Arup’s Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT) programme responsible for the successful opening of T3 was highly commended for the Transport Project of the Year category at the 2009 Gulf Traffic Awards. The accolade was announced at a dinner held in Dubai on 6 December 2009.
The programme for opening a complex, multicultural, multi-stakeholder environment like Dubai’s T3 needed to be comprehensive, robust and practical. As such, Arup’s ORAT programme was selected, and over two and a half years the firm managed every step of Emirates’ and Dubai Airports’ move into the new facility.
The ORAT program was an excellent platform for the airline and the airports stakeholders to train and familiarise their staff in an operational environment. The program also provided a means for identification of opportunities for improvement and corrective actions prior to Airport Opening Day (AOD), if necessary, for any conflicts between the design and intended operational usage.
On 11 November 2008 Emirates completed a four-step transition into Terminal 3, seamlessly and on time, under the watchful gaze of the world’s media. By 2012 the terminal is expected to have increased Dubai Airport's passenger capacity by 43 million, to 60 million passengers per year.