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Aircraft handling at Al Maktoum International Airport

OMDW / DWC · Dubai(Jebel Ali), United Arab Emirates
Longest runway
14,764 ft
Runways
2
Country
United Arab Emirates
LFS coverage
24 / 7
Quick answers
Does LFS handle aircraft at Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW / DWC)?
Yes. LFS arranges ground handling at OMDW 24/7, working with dnata and ExecuJet (FBO) and Jetex (FBO) on the ramp through our vetted local agent.
How much notice does OMDW need?
Plan on about 6 hours for permits and handling at OMDW. AOG, medevac and humanitarian flights are worked immediately.
What is a typical turnaround at OMDW?
About 40 minutes for a narrow-body transit and 80 minutes for a wide-body, under normal conditions.
Can LFS arrange fuel and permits for OMDW too?
Yes — Jet A-1 uplift through ENOC Aviation or Shell Aviation, plus landing, overflight and slot/PPR clearances, all on one trip file.
How do I request handling at OMDW?
Send the trip to OPS@LFS.AERO or call the 24/7 desk on +973 1330 0313. Requests are acknowledged within 60 minutes, immediately for AOG.
Operational profile — OMDW

Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW / DWC) — handlers, fuel, and turnaround

Ground handlers
dnata · ExecuJet (FBO) · Jetex (FBO)
Fuel agents
ENOC Aviation · Shell Aviation
Permit lead time
6 h
Narrow-body turnaround
40 min
Wide-body turnaround
80 min
Jet A-1 (indicative, USD / USG)
2.75 – 3.05
Ex-taxes / fees. LFS confirms live uplift price per trip.

Operating notes

  • ·H24, uncongested vs OMDB — preferred for freighters, VIP, and tech-stops.
  • ·RWY 12/30 4,500 m grooved — accepts A380 and AN-124 at MTOW.
  • ·Customs available 24/7 with 4-hour PNR.
  • ·Cargo apron with 12 wide-body stands and 24/7 cool-chain handling.

Performance considerations

No noise curfew. Long runway and lower elevation make OMDW the alternate of choice when OMDB is slot-locked or wind-restricted.

Why crews call LFS for OMDW: LFS positions ground crews at OMDW for AN-124 / B747F / IL-76 cargo movements and arranges Jetex or ExecuJet FBO for VIP arrivals on under 6 hours notice.
Served through the LFS agent network

LFS coordinates OMDW through vetted ground handling agents we appoint and supervise. You deal with one LFS controller for the whole trip; we hold the agent to our turnaround, fuel and reporting standards and audit the invoice before it reaches you.

Related UAE hubs
Dubai International Airport
OMDB / DXB · Dubai
Zayed International Airport
OMAA / AUH · Abu Dhabi
Operational deep-dive — OMDW

Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW / DWC) — handling, permits, and ramp realities

OMDW as the Gulf's most flexible wide-body and freighter field

Al Maktoum International was purpose-built around freight and oversized aircraft. The single operational runway (12/30) is 4,500 m long, grooved, and rated to PCN 105/R/B/W/T — meaning A380, AN-124, B747-8F, and B777F can all depart at MTOW under almost any temperature and wind condition LFS has observed in the last five years. The airfield sits at only 169 ft elevation, two ramps separated (passenger/VIP north, cargo south), with zero crossing-runway dependencies. For LFS this is the field of choice whenever a movement is heavy, slot-locked at OMDB, or carrying outsized cargo for the South Asia–Africa corridor. We typically confirm a stand assignment within 90 minutes of permit request, versus 6–12 hours for an equivalent ad-hoc at OMDB.

Freighter operations: AN-124, IL-76, and project cargo

OMDW handles roughly 60% of the UAE's heavy-lift charter freight. dnata's cargo handling team — co-located with the LFS partner desk — provides 24/7 forklift, K-loader (up to 30 t), and oversized cargo handling. ADNOC and Shell Aviation both maintain into-plane tankers airside, and Jet A-1 indicative pricing of USD 2.75–3.05 per US gallon is currently 10–15 cents below OMDB on most uplifts. LFS pre-positions Russian-language ground crew for Antonov and Volga-Dnepr operations, and has direct relationships with the GCAA cargo-permit desk for short-notice humanitarian, oil-and-gas project, and oversized military-spec movements. Cool-chain pharma is handled in dnata's 8,000 m² temperature-controlled cargo terminal with full IATA CEIV Pharma certification.

Business aviation: Jetex and ExecuJet FBOs

OMDW's two FBOs — Jetex (the flagship of their global network) and ExecuJet — give LFS a credible alternative to OMDB's congested VIP slots. Both offer dedicated arrival lounges, customs and immigration inside the FBO, and chauffeur service to downtown Dubai or DIFC inside 45 minutes. For repeat principals, LFS pre-positions ground transport and arranges Diplomatic Channel clearance via Dubai Protocol when status warrants. The lack of a slot regime means we can land a Global 7500 or G650 ad-hoc with six hours notice — at OMDB the same movement would require 24–48 hours of slot wrangling during peak season.

Permits, customs, and crew handling under one LFS desk

GCAA landing and overflight permits for OMDW share the same workflow as OMDB and are routinely cleared inside four hours by the LFS Dubai watch. Customs are available H24 with a four-hour PNR, and the airfield's Free Zone status simplifies temporary-import of spares and AOG-critical parts — a recurring problem for ferry crews at other UAE fields. LFS provides ramp transport, crew hotac (with preferred rates at the four hotels inside Dubai South), engineering coordination with FAI Technik and ExecuJet maintenance, and crew visa coordination through the ICP. Where OMDB serves the airline schedule, OMDW serves the operator — and LFS has built the desk around exactly that distinction.

Aircraft handled

20 types coordinated at OMDW

Wide-body cargo

Boeing 747-8F
B748 · 447.7 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 747-400F
B744 · 396.9 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 777F
B77L · 347.8 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 767-300F
B763 · 186.9 t MTOW
Operable
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F
MD11 · 286 t MTOW
Operable
Airbus A330-200F
A332 · 233 t MTOW
Operable
Antonov An-124 Ruslan
A124 · 405 t MTOW
Operable
Ilyushin Il-76
IL76 · 210 t MTOW
Operable

Narrow-body cargo

Boeing 737-800BCF
B738 · 79 t MTOW
Operable
Airbus A321P2F
A321 · 93.5 t MTOW
Operable
ATR 72-600F
AT72 · 23 t MTOW
Operable

Wide-body passenger

Airbus A380-800
A388 · 575 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 747-400
B744 · 396.9 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 777-300ER
B77W · 351.5 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
B789 · 254 t MTOW
Operable
Airbus A350-900
A359 · 280 t MTOW
Operable

Narrow-body passenger

Airbus A320
A320 · 78 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 737-800
B738 · 79 t MTOW
Operable
Boeing 737 MAX 8
B38M · 82.2 t MTOW
Operable
Embraer E190
E190 · 51.8 t MTOW
Operable
Handling partner network

Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW / DWC) handling via dnata

For Al Maktoum International Airport, LFS coordinates aircraft handling with dnata. This includes ramp services, passenger handling, fuel uplift, permits, crew transport, and turnaround support for charter, commercial, cargo, diplomatic, and tech-stop flights.

View dnata handling page
Trip to OMDW?

Handling, fuel, permits and slots at OMDW — answered in under 60 minutes.

Send registration, aircraft type, route and dates. You get one reply with the ramp plan, permit lead time, slot position and a fuel price for Al Maktoum International Airport.

Full trip request Fuel at OMDW Slots & PPR
Fast track
Request OMDW support
OMDW — Al Maktoum International Airport · United Arab Emirates

Acknowledged in under 60 minutes during working hours · immediately for AOG and medevac.

Operating into Dubai(Jebel Ali): local notes and contacts

What actually shapes a turnaround at Al Maktoum International Airport (OMDW / DWC) — the permit chain in United Arab Emirates, the field's own constraints, and who to call locally.

Local handling notes

  • Permits and entry clearances for United Arab Emirates run through the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). LFS files against two to three working days for non-scheduled landing permits, shorter for overflight, and short-notice requests are worked directly with the authority rather than left in a queue.
  • Passenger and crew data is submitted in advance; UAE immigration clears crew at the aircraft or in the terminal depending on the field. LFS sends the general declaration, crew list and passenger manifest to the handling agent before you land.
  • Al Maktoum International Airport has 2 runways with a longest of 14,764 ft, so aircraft type is rarely the limiting factor here — ramp availability, parking and slot timing usually are. LFS confirms stand and equipment before the permit is filed.
  • Fuel, catering, crew transport and hotac at Dubai(Jebel Ali) are arranged on one LFS trip file, so you get one point of contact and one reconciled invoice instead of chasing each supplier at the field.