Concourse A, the world’s first purpose-built facility for A380 planes, is now fully open at Dubai International.

All 20 A380-capable contact gates and Emirates luxurious First Class and Business Class lounges are now fully operational after a five-week-long phase-in period.

During the first month of operations following its inaugural flight on January 2, Concourse A has handled 461,972 pieces of luggage carried on over 2,450 flights serving 589,234 passengers.

Concourse A is part of the Terminal Three complex built for the use of Emirates Airlines. From there, its passengers can travel to its network of 21 A380 destinations across Europe, North America, Australia and Asia.

With 11 floors and a total built-up area of 528,000 square metres, Concourse A is connected to Concourse B and Terminal 3 via an underground train.

Unlike any other airport facility in the world, the First Class and Business Class lounges have dedicated floors that offer direct and convenient access to aircraft boarding gates.

The lounges, which extend the entire length of the concourse, are the largest in the world and offer customers fine dining, with showcase kitchens, conference rooms, business centres, a Timeless Spa, entertainment zones, dedicated smoking areas as well as children’s play areas.

Concourse A boosts capacity at Dubai International from 60 million to 75 million passengers per year.

Emirates operates flights on a daily schedule from Malta to Dubai via Larnaka, Cyprus.