Al Maktoom Airport Inauguration Trip With Jazeera Airways
I was contacted by Ben Sirri PR on behalf of Jazeera Airways to be on board the very first flight to arrive at Dubai’s newest airport and to attend Al Maktoom Airport’s inauguration ceremony. The flight was scheduled for 7:15 A.M. on Sunday 27 October 2013 which meant we were supposed to be at Kuwait International Airport at 6 A.M. -and wake up at 5 A.M.!-. When we arrived at the airport we went through the speediest check in ever, given that the ladies of Ben Sirri PR had our boarding passes ready and all that had to be done is to hand them over to us at the departures entrance.
It was fun waiting to board the plane while seeing the many friendly -and sleepy- faces of our fellow bloggers and social media figures waiting with bubbling happiness to board the plane and chatting away.
Almost all my travels to Dubai were on board Jazeera Airways. I’d order online in advance and get great prices and their flight schedule meant I could go to Dubai in the morning and come back to Kuwait at night on the same day. Now with Al Maktoom Airport Jazeera Airways will be offering two extra flights every Thursday and Saturday which means more seats and less prices for Dubai weekends.
We took our seats and were served drinks and handed meals menus. When Aljazeera first started passengers bought their meals or beverages on board and paid for them on the spot but now you can choose whatever you want from the menu for free. Coffee, tea, and chocolates were in very high demand through the flight.
Up up we go! Beautiful Kuwait in the early morning below.
The clouds over Kuwait were gorgeous! Like endless fields of cotton! I want a cloud of my own to take home and live on.
The flight was jolly, filled with excited chatter. Jazeera Airways CEO Mr. Marwan Boodai passed by each and every passenger for a chat and to ask if we’ve flown with Jazeera Airways before and what more do we wish Jazeera Airways had offered. It was a nice gesture to personally greet each and every passenger on board from by the CEO.
One hour twenty minutes of smooth sailing in the air later and we were in Dubai landing at Al Maktoom Airport. Dubai’s newest airport is located near Dubai World Center, 40 KM away from Dubai’s International Airport. If you are staying in Jumeira the new airport is much nearer to Jumeira and Jabal Ali areas of Dubai which means less airport commute time.
As the first passengers to arrive at the airport ever the jolly airport staff welcomed us with big smiles and roses while we went through the security checks. We felt happy in their pride and joy.
The Al Maktoom Airport wasn’t very big, something we were thankful for because it meant the trip from the security check to the arrivals gate took mere minutes and didn’t involve much walking which in turn means you get out of the airport quicker. Time is usually of essence when you are travelling for the weekend only.
The current Al Maktoom airport we landed in is actually the first phase of the airport. Like everything else in Dubai the current Al Maktoom Airport is meant to expand and become the biggest airport in world, with five runways and 160 million passengers per year capacity.
We made our way to the main entrance of the airport where a red carpet was laid out for the arrival of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the UAE and the rules of Dubai. The media frenzy was quite organised around the red carpets and little school girls were all dressed up in the national dress and gold jewellery waiting to perform a song at the ceremony.
A pretty little girl was distributing Patchi chocolates, check our her traditional henna!
Before we boarded the plane we were handed a schedule of the ceremony and right to the schedule the ceremony had began with the arrival of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum escorted by government and airport officials. Sheikh Mohammed stopped for a moment to chat with the little girls who were lined up in front of us.
Sheikh Mohammed unveiled a ceremonial plaque and signed it to commemorating the inauguration of the Al Maktoom Airport.
The ceremony continued with a quick paced airport tour, which saw people and reporters going through security check and passport control in a haste with no checks whatsoever. Something that you don’t see everyday really.
Out to the runway a bright fuchsia airplane had landed and was being sprayed by water. I wonder why planes are sprayed with water once they arrive for the first time to an airport, where did the tradition stem from? I plan to Google it soon.
There was also a press conference where different media reporters had asked questions, lots of them. Once the press conference was over we got our boarding passes home and were quite literally the only passengers roaming the brand new departure lounge. It felt both nice and weird at the same time.
Of course we had to do a bit of shopping! It was a bit heart-wrenching to actually arrive at Dubai and not be able to visit Dubai, or have a drive down Jumeira road, or dine at Wafi Gourmet which I began craving badly. The Duty Free was basic but quite limited, I like the duty free of Dubai’s International Airport much better but I did manage to get myself a DVD and plenty of chocolates.
We were also starving and my fellow bloggers all got lunch from McDonalds while they waited to board the plane back home. I got me some Cadbury Flake and a Mcdonalds vanilla ice cream cone and voila a 99 was created in Al Maktoom Airport in Dubai, UAE!
We boarded the plane an hour later than scheduled, around 2 P.M. UAE time.
Then it was time to leave back home. The quickest trip ever!
My brand new passport with the new airport’s stamps being the first stamps to graze my passport pages! The date is 27 October 2013, a memorial day for sure!
As we began moving down the runway we did get our own water sprayed on the airplane! It was so much fun, like being in a car wash but on a bigger scale, more like a plane wash!
Bye bye lovely Dubai! Congratulations, we wish you all the best towards a prosperous future.
The plane ride back home was filled with friendly yet sleepy chatter and some more coffee, tea, and chocolates.
The next Jazeera Airways flight to arrive at Al Maktoom Airport is scheduled for 31 October which is next Thursday and if you are planning on spending most of your weekend in Jumeira I suggest you arrive at Al Maktoom Airport. For more information regarding Jazeera Airways flights or to book your next flight online you can check their website (link), give them a call on +(965)-177, follow them on Twitter (@JazeeraAirways) or on instagram (@JazeeraAirways).
I’d also like to thank Mr. Marwan Boodai, all the Jazeera Airways flight crew, and Jazeera Airways for the lovely flight and for choosing my blog for the trip. Thank you Ben Sirri PR for all the effort you’ve put into organising this trip, I’ve never been on such a smooth and punctual trip before.
