Sheikh Ahmed: Aviation Strategy Will Drive Growth

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By Mary Sophia  http://gulfbusiness.com

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority’s (DCAA) strategy plan for 2013-2015 has laid out an ambitious roadmap to boost aviation growth in the emirate, announced HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, DCAA president and Dubai Airports chairman.

The president, who also heads the region’s largest airline, Emirates, said: “The aviation industry in Dubai has witnessed a steady growth in the past years and it continues its stride, competing with the world’s renowned aviation cities to acquire the highest share of passenger and air traffic.

“Besides the growth of the industry, we consider that it is our prime duty to ensure the implementation of the highest standards of safety and security in all activities related to aviation.”

The strategy plan of 2013-2015 covers major areas like growth, capacity, sustainability, customers and capability.

The aviation sector’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP is expected to rise to 32 per cent to reach up to Dhs165 billion by 2020, up from 28 per cent in 2011, according to research firm Oxford Economics.

Dubai’s aviation sector also employs more than five per cent of the ‘waged work force’ in Dubai, the plan states. However, air space congestion remains a problem in this growing industry.

According to the UAE Flight Information Region (FIR), UAE airspace recorded a total of 741,450 aircrafts in 2012. The FIR projects this figure to be 895,468 flights in 2015, over 1.13 million flight movements by 2020 and 1.63 million flights in the UAE airspace by 2030. More info