Air traffic movement in the United Arab Emirates increased by nearly 10 percent in January as against the same period in 2009, according to data released on Thursday by the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Total UAE traffic movement in the first month of 2010 were 51,851, an increase of almost 10 percent compared to January 2009. Average daily movement were 1,673 in January 2010, which represents an increase of 9.7 percent compared to traffic movement in January 2009 which saw a daily average of 1,522 flights,” the agency reported.
Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, General Manager of GCAA, said the Emirates’ aviation industry has been off to a good start in 2010. “In spite of the challenges facing the civil aviation industry in many parts of the world, the UAE was able to maintain its growth,” he began.
Al Suwaidi also affirmed the GCAA’s commitment to strengthening the UAE's position in the global aviation industry by providing “an adequate environment for continued growth and development at the legislative, regulatory and training levels; and to provide opportunities for Emiratis.”
Dubai posts highest traffic growth
About 47 percent of the UAE’s total air traffic movement in January came from Dubai with 24,338, the GCAA revealed. In an earlier article published by Alrroya.com, the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has ranked the Dubai International Airport as the world’s busiest airport in 2009, posting an impressive passenger traffic figure of 40.9 million passengers, rising by 9.2 percent from the 2008 records.
The GCAA report noted that the Abu Dhabi International Airport’s air traffic stood at 7,733 while Sharjah International Airport recorded 5,095 during the start of 2010. “Fujairah International Airport witnessed 366 movements, while Al Ain Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport had 181 and 111, respectively,” the agency added.
Striving for a multi-faceted aviation development
A part from air traffic growth, the GCAA said it is also committed to promoting the highest standards in other fields of aviation such as navigations, safety, security, air transport, licencing and aeromedicine. “In terms of aviation safety, GCAA issued and renewed 24 certificates for aircraft maintenance companies, eight aircraft registration certificates, 42 airworthiness certificates, 20 simulator certificates and 35 examination permits. It also conducted 73 inspections and audits at the local and non-local levels. The number of aircraft maintenance companies in the UAE stood at 179, while six aircrafts were registered and 14 aircraft modification transactions were conducted,” the agency reported.
