The departure flights are managed from three passenger terminals of the Dubai Airport.
Terminals 1 and three are interconnected so that the passengers can freely move from one terminal to another. The Terminal 2 is located separately and, therefore, shuttle buses run between that and two other terminals. To move within the terminals from one concourse to another, there are individual people movers available on the territory of the airport. Terminals 1 and three mostly serve international flights, while Terminal 2 is used by the budget passengers or passengers flying to nearby and the Persian Gulf regions.
The flights departing from the Terminal 1 are passing through the Concourse D connected to the terminal by the people mover. The construction of the Concourse D was officially finished on 24 February 2016 when British Airways has landed the first plane at the gate D8. The Terminal 2 offers 221 check-in desks and is spread to over 520.000 square meters. By the middle of 2015 major renovation were implemented that included the expansion of the departure hall, upgraded baggage systems, and replacement of check-in desks. All of that allowed the airport to increase the capacity and effectiveness of the Terminal 1 that hosts flights of over 100 airlines.
The Terminal 2 has undergone several renovations that allowed to increase the capacity of the terminal twice. Now the terminal is used by 50 airlines that provide flights to the Persian Gulf region mainly. Most flights are departing to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The departure hall offers a 2.400-square-meter duty-free area for those waiting for their flight.
The Terminal 3 is considered the largest building in the world by floor space as it covers 1.713.000 square meters of space and can handle 60 million passengers annually. Emirates and Qantas airlines only use the terminal. The departure and arrivals halls are located 10 meters beneath the airport's apron. Together with the 72 immigration counters and 14 baggage carousels, the departing flights, so as arrivals ones, are operated much more efficiently. The Terminal 3 concludes three concourses: Concourse A, B, and C.
Concourse A has an overall area of 11.000 square meters and a capacity of approximately 19 million passengers. The concourse is connected to other two concourses with the people movers and the vehicular and baggage handling systems that provide the further transfer. There are six remote lounges located at the separate levels for those waiting for the flight. Each of the lounges offers direct aircraft access.
Concourse B has an overall area of 120.000 square meters and provides direct access to the Concourse C through passenger walkways. The Concourse B has ten floors with a multi-level structure for departures and flights. That concourse is used by Emirates only and hosts Emirates first class lounge area with the capacity of 1.800 passengers, Business class lounges with the capacity of 3.000 passengers, and the Marhaba lounge area with the capacity of only 300 passengers at a time.
Concourse C was regarded as the largest terminal of the Dubai Airport until the Concourse B was constructed. It includes about 17 cafes and restaurants, and a separate food court located at the Departures hall. There are 50 gates, 28 airbridges and 22 remote gates situated at a lower level of the Concourse C.