Dubai International runway closure may cut seats by 29%

Available airline seats at Dubai International will decline by 29% as the world’s busiest airport upgrades a runway. Dubai Airports will commence the 45-day long refurbishment of the southern runway at Dubai International at 3 pm April 16, it said Sunday. “The runway is nearing the end of its design life and requires a complete upgrade to accommodate future traffic growth,” it said. Dubai Airports will move some flights to the city’s second airport in the south, Dubai World Central, to try to reduce the impact. As a result, the number of seats across Dubai will decline by 20%. Emirates plans to reduce its flights by 25% during the closure of Dubai International Airport’s southern runway, it said in January. <br/>