Fifa World Cup: No check-in bags for match-day shuttle flights

As Dubai Airports prepares to welcome a massive influx of passengers at Dubai World Central (DWC) with the match-day shuttle flights to Doha for the Fifa World Cup beginning next week, it has advised match-goers to check all necessary requirements with their respective airlines before arriving at the airport.

Flydubai and Qatar Airways will operate up to 120 matchday shuttle flights beginning November 20. The shuttle flights will fly in and out of DWC until December 19, shuttling football fans to Doha to enjoy the game and return to Dubai.

“It is mandatory for travellers to hold a valid match ticket and the Hayya Card to board match-day shuttle flights. The baggage allowance for passengers using the shuttle service is limited to hand luggage as

per their class of travel, and no checked luggage will be accepted except wheelchairs and strollers,” according to Dubai Airports.

Low-cost carrier Flydubai plans as many as 30 round-trip flights a day during the World Cup, shuttling fans between Al Maktoum International Airport at DWC to Doha International Airport.

Some football fans said they'll be commuting to Qatar during the World Cup on the 45-minute flights from Dubai. Other matchgoers plan to sleep on cruise ships or camp out in the desert amid a feverish rush for rooms in Doha.

The 26.5-million-passenger-perannum capacity terminal at DWC is already fully operational with the whole array of airport services, food and beverage and retail outlets as well as Dubai Duty Free, serving existing charter operations by multiple international carriers.

The launch of the match-day shuttle flights and additional charter flights connected to the World Cup games are expected to increase the passenger demand at DWC three-fold over the coming weeks. Passenger numbers at the airport are forecast to surpass 494,000 in the final three months of the year.

“A spike in demand of this magnitude would pose a challenge for any airport, but we have had some recent practice. In May-june, we orchestrated the almost flawless temporary relocation of more than 1,000 weekly flights from Dubai International (DXB) to DWC for the 45-day long DXB northern runway rehabilitation,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.