He expects a "stampede" of airlines will soon want to move to the second airport, projected to be the largest in the world when it is completed, when they witness the first carriers' successful launches there at the end of October.

Full-service carriers have so far held back from committing to a move to DWC, which is located south of Jebel Ali, about 20 minutes from Dubai Marina on the outskirts of the city.

Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways, told Arabian Business last month he would watch other airlines operating there before making a decision.

"We're aware of it and we're conscious of what's going on. It's something we're looking at, but we'll wait and see what happens there," he said.

"We're a small operator here compared to the big carriers - we have two flights a day into Dubai - but it's clearly something that we're very interested in."

Saudi Arabia's second carrier, Nasair, and the Hungarian budget airline, Wizz Air, will be the first to begin commercial operations at DWC, which is expected to have a capacity of 120 million when it is completed.

Read Full Article