Linking rail to runway, Dubai’s Al Maktoum Airport could let travellers drop bags at key Etihad Rail stations before heading straight to their flight

Imagine starting your holiday in the city, not the check-in queue. Bags dropped at a station, boarding pass sorted, then a smooth train ride straight to your gate. That is the vision on the table for Dubai’s next-generation hub, Al Maktoum International Airport, as plans evolve to integrate it with the upcoming Etihad Rail passenger network.

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths has outlined a future where passengers heading to Al Maktoum International will be able to check in luggage at select Etihad Rail stations before even reaching the terminal. The idea is simple but huge: turn the rail network into an extension of the airport, cutting stress, queues, and the classic luggage shuffle between taxis, metro lines, and counters.

Speaking to Flight Global, Griffiths envisages an eventual integrated system where ­passengers en route to the airport will be able to check their bags in at train stations.

Al Maktoum International is in the midst of a $35 billion expansion, designed to become the world’s largest capacity airport, featuring five runways, around 400 aircraft stands, and the ability to handle up to 260 million passengers a year once fully complete. The new Etihad Rail passenger line is planned to connect key stops, including Abu Dhabi, Zayed International Airport, Yas Island, Reem Island, near Al Maktoum International, and into Dubai, giving the future airport a high-speed spine across the country.

For travellers, this could completely change how a Dubai trip looks. Checking in your bags at a station in Abu Dhabi, hopping on a train, and rolling into the terminal ready to go, no baggage drop chaos, no last-minute sprint.

There is still work to do before this seamless setup becomes reality, and timelines sit alongside the wider airport build-out toward the early 2030s. Dubai is not just building a bigger airport; it is trying to build a smarter journey, where your holiday starts the moment you board the train, not when you finally clear the counter.

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