Air traffic movement in UAE shows strong growth
The UAE'S aviation industry is booming, with movement through the country's six international airports up nearly 20 per cent since October 2003.
The number of passengers has increased by more than 11 per cent and cargo traffic has reached a record 49.5 million metric tonnes. Ahmad Humaid Al Tayer, UAE Minister of Communications and chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said the sustained growth was a sign of economic well-being .
The extended scope of the GCAA, vis-a-vis the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) Annex 14, has led to airport licences already being issued to three UAE airports. The remaining three are set to receive theirs soon.
"Despite the specialisation and technicality of the GCAA's jobs such as pilots, aircraft engineers and air traffic controllers, the Authority succeeded in exceeding a percentage of 50 per cent of emiratisation over a period of six years (1998-2003)
"The Authority, through comprehensive training programmes, aims at emiratising 90 per cent of the jobs within the next five years," the Minister said.
The growth of civil aviation in the UAE has been phenomenal and the GCAA has developed a strategic plan for 2004-2013 to promote this.
The GCAA's capital growth expenditure for this period is an estimated Dh134 million.
The GCAA's revenue last year rose to Dh72.48 million from the previous year's Dh69.91 million. Its surplus for the year declined to Dh10.24 million last year, compared to the previous year's Dh13.74 million, due to higher operational expenditure.
Mohammad Ganem Al Gaith, GCAA director-general, said: "Aircraft movement has risen to 320,000 year to date, compared to 280,000 for the same period last year. In the coming years, we project similar year-on-year growth, which is putting additional pressures on the existing airports."
Three airlines Emirates, Air Arabia and Etihad Airways have air operation certificates, while eight possess air transport certificates for cargo, charter and business aviation operations. The country has 225 aircraft registered with the GCAA about 150 of these being large jets.
"All our three national carriers are growing at a fast pace and all have large orderbooks of aircraft. With this kind of growth, all our airports will remain busy," said Al Gaith.
"New and expanding UAE flag carriers and operators will see fleet size expansion on the Civil Aircraft Registry from 109 aircraft in 2003 to 210 aircraft by 2013 an increase of 84 per cent.
"The six international airports are becoming the leading hub airports on a global basis connecting the East to the West. This factor, coupled with local initiatives to expand tourism, IT, media, industry and other developments that support economic expansion and devolution from an oil-based economy, will accelerate this trend."
Al Gaith said, the GCAA had carried out comprehensive security audits at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports. "Currently we are carrying out security audits at Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah airports which should be completed in three months. Then Sharjah International Airport will come under the audit process."
Article originally published by Gulf News 25-Oct-04
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