Dubai Airports is considering placing aviation fuel storage underground and hardening other critical infrastructure at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said, following disruptions at Dubai International Airport (DXB) during a 2026 conflict.
The proposal follows an event in which above-ground fuel tanks at Dubai International Airport were struck, forcing the airport to halt operations temporarily. Griffiths said the airport resumed flights rapidly after the incident.
Under the plan to transfer operations from Dubai International Airport to an expanded Al Maktoum International Airport, planners are examining whether vulnerable infrastructure, including aviation fuel storage, should be placed underground or reinforced against future drone and missile attacks.
