UAE air traffic up 11.5% in first four months of 2010
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has announced that average growth of UAE air traffic movements in the first four months of 2010 was 11.5%, with a total of 205, 700 air traffic movements, compared with 184, 700 during the same period last year.
Despite a decrease in April's global air traffic movements due to volcanic ash disrupting air operations in many European airports, UAE air traffic movements grew 10.6% in April, reaching 52, 300 air traffic movements, compared with 47, 300 in April 2009.
GCAA also announced continued high growth rates in April 2010, compared to April last year, across all air activities and operations, including air safety, security, infrastructure, air transport, licensing, aeromedical and many transactions in relation to civil aviation and associated operations in the UAE.
GCAA's monthly report for April 2010 showed that total UAE air traffic movements were 52, 300, almost 10.6% up when compared to April 2009. Average daily air traffic movements in April 2010 were 1,744, which represents an increase of 10.6% compared to air traffic movements in April 2009 which saw a daily average of 1,577 air traffic movements.
Above: Dubai International Airport
Dubai ranked first with 23, 707 air traffic movements, or almost 45.3% of total UAE air traffic movements. Transit flights stood next at 11, 632, representing 22% of total air traffic movements. Abu Dhabi ranked third with 7, 674 air traffic movements, or 14.6% of total UAE air traffic movements in April 2010.
According to the report, air traffic movements in Sharjah International Airport ranked fourth with 5, 362 movements representing 10% of total UAE air traffic movements. Local flights between UAE airports were in fifth position with 3, 367 movements, representing 6.4% of total air traffic movements. Fujairah International Airport witnessed 335 movements, while Al Ain Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport had 186 and 58 air traffic movements respectively. The three airports together represented 1.1% of total UAE air traffic movements last April.
H.E. Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General of GCAA said: "Stability and growth characterized air operations in the UAE in spite of the clear effects of ash clouds from the active volcano in Iceland on air operations worldwide last month. This is attributed to the diverse operations with no focus on one region, the ability to find appropriate alternative in emergencies and the advanced legislative and legal framework in relation to aviation security, air safety and regulation of air traffic in the UAE."