Dubai FBOs. Five private terminals at Al Maktoum, a quiet ramp and your car at the door.
Dubai's private aviation has largely moved to Al Maktoum, half an hour south west of the beach. That half hour buys a quiet ramp and an easy slot, and we time the drive around the city's peaks.
The two airports
Where Dubai's private aviation actually is
- Al Maktoum (DWC / OMDW)Five private terminalsAt Dubai South, roughly thirty seven kilometres south west of the old city. A single very long runway, open around the clock, no night curfew, and ramp space that genuinely exists.
- Dubai International (DXB / OMDB)Constrained, and deliberately soFully slot coordinated, with business aviation stands that are limited and tightly policed. Close to the city, but not where a charter aircraft is likely to be sent.
- Al Majlis, at DXBA VIP terminal, not an FBOA separate facility beside Terminal 3 departures for passengers arriving or leaving on scheduled flights. It is booked through the airport rather than through us.
- Hangarage and maintenanceAt Dubai SouthThe free zone alongside Al Maktoum is where much of the region's business aviation hangarage and maintenance sits, which is a large part of why the terminals followed.
Cars in Dubai are arranged through operators we know and brief. Odyssey Connections owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else, and we arrange aircraft wherever you fly.
The terminals
Who runs what at Al Maktoum
| Terminal | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| DC Aviation Al Futtaim | A standalone VIP terminal in its own compound, with hangarage alongside it. One of the two operators at Dubai South that does not share a building. |
| ExecuJet | The other standalone terminal, combining passenger handling with a substantial maintenance operation on the same site. |
| Jetex | One of three sections inside the shared VIP terminal. Jetex is a Dubai company and this is its home terminal, which shows in the size of the lounges. |
| Jet Aviation | A second section of the shared VIP terminal, used by a number of managed and charter fleets. |
| Falcon Aviation | The third section of the shared terminal, and the name most often seen on helicopter movements around the emirate. |
Your operator appoints the terminal, normally on the basis of where the aircraft is handled or hangared. Odyssey Connections claims no relationship with any of these companies, and the Dubai terminal map has changed repeatedly as Dubai South has grown, so we confirm the building and the gate for every movement.
Planning it
The ramp is quick. We time the road around the peaks.
Arriving privately at Dubai is one of the smoother experiences in aviation. The terminals at Dubai South are new, generously sized and rarely busy, formalities are handled in the building, and vehicle access to the aircraft is common practice rather than an exception, subject as always to the arrangements for the day. Where the time goes is the drive, and we plan it before anyone books.
Al Maktoum to the Marina is half an hour on a clear road and closer to an hour on a working morning. To Downtown or the DIFC, allow the better part of an hour in the peak. The city runs on one spine, Sheikh Zayed Road, and it slows on working mornings and again through the early evening. The working week here runs Monday to Friday, so a Sunday evening arrival is a very different drive from a Tuesday morning one.
That is why, for a client arriving on a scheduled flight rather than a charter, we will sometimes say plainly that Dubai International is the better airport. It is fifteen minutes from Downtown on a clear road. Private movements are a different matter, and the stands at DXB are not there to be fought over. The right answer depends on the aircraft, and we will give it rather than steer you towards the longer drive.
Onward
Typical drive times from Dubai South
| To | Quiet roads | Peak periods |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina, JBR and Bluewaters | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Palm Jumeirah | 30 to 40 minutes | 45 to 65 minutes |
| Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim and Madinat | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 70 minutes |
| Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa | 35 to 50 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| DIFC and Business Bay | 35 to 50 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| Dubai International | 40 to 55 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| Abu Dhabi and the corniche | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 | 1 hour 20 to 2 hours |
Realistic ranges, not promises. Sheikh Zayed Road is the spine of the whole city and it slows badly on working mornings and again through the early evening.
What we do about it
How a Dubai arrival is set up
The detail that matters once the aircraft is arranged.
- Terminal named, not just the airport. Two of the five are standalone buildings and three share one terminal divided into sections, and the gates are not interchangeable
- Vehicle access to the aircraft arranged in advance where the terminal permits it, rather than asked for on the ramp
- Timings set against the working week, which runs Monday to Friday here, and against the evening peak on Sheikh Zayed Road
- Luggage counted carefully, and a second vehicle arranged in advance when the party and the bags do not fit one car
- Onward flights to the region treated as one enquiry with the cars. See private jet charter and London to Dubai
- If a client is arriving on a scheduled flight instead, we will say so and plan for Dubai International rather than sell the longer drive
Request a quote
Tell us the movement
Date, tail number or operator, which Dubai terminal if you know it, passengers, luggage and the hotel or address. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About the Dubai terminals
Why is my aircraft going to Al Maktoum and not Dubai?
Because that is where the private terminals, the ramp space and the hangars are. Dubai International is slot coordinated with limited business aviation stands, and most charter movements are sent to Dubai South.
Which terminal will we use?
Your operator decides, usually on the basis of where the aircraft is handled. Give us the tail number and we will confirm the building and the gate before you land.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
Vehicle access to the aircraft is normal practice at the Dubai South terminals where the arrangements for the movement allow it. We confirm it rather than assume it.
Is Al Majlis an FBO?
No. It is a VIP terminal at Dubai International for passengers on scheduled flights, booked through the airport. It is a good facility and it is not part of the private aviation side of the field.
Are these your own cars and chauffeurs?
Our own cars and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and a trusted global network covers everywhere else. In Dubai the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
We deal with problems before you know they exist