With more than 110 airlines operating through UAE’S airports, linking 194 cities around the globe and carrying 39 million passengers annually, the UAE’s Air Traffic Control (ATC) movements are set to post two-fold growth from 391,000 in 2005 to 770,000 by 2013, recording a 10 per cent annual increase.
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, the minister of Development of Government Sector and Chairman of General Civil Aviation Authority, said the UAE, which has so far signed 85 air services agreements and 30 bilateral agreements, is committed to an open sky policy.
The minister’s upbeat forecast of the UAE aviation sector comes in the wake of an optimistic outlook presented by IATA at its AGM in Vancouver.
Announcing the establishment of UAE’s permanent representation at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal, Al Mansouri said the UAE civil aviation is moving forward in its efforts to strengthen its infrastructure and establish an integrated aviation industry.
“Our commitment to the ‘open sky’ policy means that more than 100 airlines connect through our airports. Air traffic in the UAE shows a 10 per cent annual growth rate. A total 113 international air carriers operate into UAE airports. The UAE has long been a strong supporter of the liberalisation of the air transport sector,” he said.