DWC on target to open for passengers on time - but questions over Nasair launch

Earlier this week the UAE regulator, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), certified the new airport. But sources in Saudi Arabia suggest the Saudi value carrier which has recently undergone another major management restructuring, is reconsidering its celebrated move to the new airport.
Dubai's government has been careful not to publish concrete timelines for expanding operations at DWC, mindful of the embarrassment caused by airport delays elsewhere in the region.
But commercial flights at the future hub have been gradually scaled up since June 2010, when cargo flights began on its single extant runway. DWC handled 219,000 tonnes of air freight in 2012, more than doubling the previous year's throughput.
The start of passenger operations will be a milestone for the new airport with Wizz Air now looking to be the launch customer
The GCAA approvals now clear the way for the proposed October 27th start.
“This is a welcomed and critical step forward in the process of preparing DWC for full passenger operations,” said Jamal Zaal, vice president of Airside Operations at Dubai Airports. “We will continue to press ahead with trials that test every system, process and piece of equipment in the new terminal, be it signage, gates or boarding procedures to make sure the new facility is ready to accept passengers on October 27.”
Advanced passenger trials will be held on October 12, when the full passenger journey through the new terminal will be tested by 1,000 members of the travelling public to identify any areas for improvement – mirroring the process that took place with the pre-opening of Concourse A at Dubai International in January. Dubai Airports said volunteers were “oversubscribed” within the first 48 hours.
The new passenger terminal building is designed to accommodate five to seven million passengers per year. When completed, DWC will be the largest airport in the world with five runways and capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo.