The new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC) opened its doors for business today following its official inauguration and the welcoming of the first commercial flight.

Dubai's airport of the future, Al Maktoum International is 70km from Dubai International in Jebel Ali.

A large delegation of local dignitaries and aviation officials toured the facility following the unveiling of a commemorative display and welcomed the arrival of the first commercial flight, Wizz Air flight W6 2497 arriving from Budapest, Hungary. Also present were aircraft from Gulf Air and Jazeera Airlines both of which will commence operations at DWC soon.

"Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central will play a vital role in the future development of Dubai as a centre for trade, commerce, transport and logistics and tourism. I am impressed by the efficiency and convenience of this new terminal," said HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Airports.

"The opening of this facility signals the historic beginning of a long-term plan to build the largest airport in the world to accommodate the tremendous passenger growth and contribute to the continued economic and social development of Dubai."

The new passenger terminal offers full retail as well as food and beverage amenities. It is serviced by one A380 capable runway, 64 remote aircraft stands and has capacity for up to 7 million passengers per year.

Dubai Airports has thus far confirmed operations with three airlines. Wizz Air, which provides low-cost air transport across 30 countries with 16 bases across Europe, will provide non-stop services linking DWC to Central and Eastern Europe. Jazeera Airways will commence operations with two weekly flights starting October 31st, 2013. 

Most recently, Gulf Air has announced its intention to start daily operations to Bahrain on December 8, 2013. Dubai Airports is in discussions with a number of other interested carriers.

"The location, convenience and compact nature of DWC are compelling attributes," added Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. "Airline and customer interest in this airport continues to grow and we hope to announce additional services in the near future."

160 million: Number of passengers the airport will be able to accommodate per year after completion

The busiest airport in the world is currently Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, which handled more than 95 million passengers in 2012.

It is followed by Beijing Capital International (82 million), London Heathrow (70 million) and Tokyo International (67.8 million). Chairman of Dubai Airports, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said that the airport will play a vital role in the future development of Dubai as a centre for trade, commerce, transport, logistics and tourism.