Dubai International is closing one of its runways for 45 days to complete refurbishment, a move that's estimated to trigger a 29 percent decline in available airline seats to the destination. The airport told Bloomberg in an emailed statement that its southern runway will close April 16 at 3 p.m.MORE Airlines & Airports “The runway is nearing the end of its design life and requires a complete upgrade to accommodate future traffic growth,” according to the statement.The airport plans to reroute some flights to the city’s second airport in the south, Dubai World Central, in an attempt to reduce the closure's impact, the statement continued. The upgrading effort is expected to take until May 30 and during the interim will leave the city's main airport with just one operating runway, all of which is expected to result in the number of seats across Dubai declining substantially. Emirates, the world’s largest airline for international passengers, is based in Dubai. The airline will reduce its flights by 25 percent during the closure. It will cut back the frequency of its services to several destinations in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, Gulf News reported.The airline told Gulf News it will drop at least 135 flights or frequencies per week while Dubai International is operating with just one airstrip. Destinations that will be impacted include the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Egypt, Jordan, Switzerland, Spain, and Denmark, among others.Emirates will maintain regularly scheduled operations for a number of popular destinations, including Mumbai, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Cebu, Manila, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Prague, Shanghai and Stockholm, among others. Let's block ads! (Why?)