Dubai, UAE (AP) – Travelers flying out of Dubai’s airports will pay a new fee to cover improvements at the long-haul hub, the city-state’s crown prince announced last week, as Gulf countries grapple with low oil prices.
Passengers departing from Dubai will pay a 35-dirham (US$9.50) service fee for flights leaving after June 30 that have been booked since March 1, according to a statement from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. That includes most passengers transiting through Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, though children under 2 will be exempt.
The statement said the fee will go toward expansion projects like Dubai International Airport’s new Concourse D, the expansion of the airport’s Terminal 2 and the renovation of Terminal 1. The city is also expanding Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central, with hopes of one day transferring all Emirates airline flights there.
The statement offered no revenue estimates.
