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First passengers arrive at Dubai's new airport, part of its ambitions to dominate air travel

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Passengers check-in at the newly opened Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. The first passengers have arrived at Dubai’s newest airport, part of the United Arab Emirates’ plans to become a major air travel destination. The new airport is known by the code DWC for Dubai World Center. (AP Photo/Patrick Castillo, Emarat Al Youm) (The Associated Press)

A worker looks at his mobile phone at the newly opened Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. The first passengers have arrived at Dubai’s newest airport, part of the United Arab Emirates’ plans to become a major air travel destination. The new airport is known by the code DWC for Dubai World Center. (AP Photo/Patrick Castillo, Emarat Al Youm) (The Associated Press)

A traveller pulls her suite case at the newly opened Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013. The first passengers have arrived at Dubai’s newest airport, part of the United Arab Emirates’ plans to become a major air travel destination. The new airport is known by the code DWC for Dubai World Center. (AP Photo/Patrick Castillo, Emarat Al Youm) (The Associated Press)

The first passengers have arrived at Dubai's newest airport, part of the United Arab Emirates' plans to become an even bigger air travel destination.

A flight carrying a little more than 100 passengers from Budapest touched down Sunday at Dubai's new Al Maktoum International Airport.

The new airport is known by the code DWC for Dubai World Center.

DWC's development is forecast to cost more than $32 billion. When complete, it will have five runways capable of handling 160 million passengers a year.

The Dubai International Airport is already a major travel hub. It is the fourth busiest airport in the world and served some 57 million passengers last year. That airport, though, is expected to reach its full capacity of 90 million passengers a year by 2020.