Dubai airport's A380 concourse fully operational

Dubai: Dubai airport chief executive Paul Griffiths has said the world's first concourse exclusively for Airbus A380 "superjumbo" has been completed and is now fully operational.

Speaking at a media conference at Dubai International Airport, Griffiths said as part of Terminal 3, Concourse A increases the airport's maximum capacities to 75 million passengers per year from last year's 60 million, reported Xinhua.

The $3.3 billion concourse has surface of 528,000 square metre, 11 floors and a separate business and first class lounge. It also harbours a five-star and a four-star hotel with 202 rooms, including 37 suites.

Earlier in January, Griffiths announced that the Dubai airport was the world's third biggest airport in 2012 as it received 56.6 million passengers, up 13 percent year on year.

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Like Dubai's Terminal 3, Concourse A is exclusively used by Dubai's state-owned carrier Emirates Airlines.

A total of 31 of the 90 A380 aircraft the Emirates ordered from European consortium Airbus are currently operating.

IANS