Page 125 - SHARJAH AIRPORT PR REPORT - DECEMBER 2023

12/19/23, 10:12 AM UAE soars to the top, dominates regional aviation sector
Booklet 2023 issued by the World Competitiveness Centre of the World Institute for
Management Development (IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

According to data published by OAG Aviation, a provider of airport and airline data, the
UAE ranks first among the world’s 20 largest air transport markets in terms of the growth of
scheduled seating capacity for flights at its international airports.

Large absorptive capacity

In 2022, UAE airports served a total of 101 million passengers. Among them, 29,926,799 were
arriving passengers, while 29,172,619 were departing passengers. The remaining 41,912,205
passengers were transit travelers.

During the first eight months of 2023, UAE airports experienced significant growth in
passenger numbers. Specifically, they received 86,936,854 arriving passengers, representing a
growth rate of over 39 percent compared to the same period in the previous year, which had
recorded 62,340,434 passengers.

Elena Sorlini, managing director and interim chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, has
predicted that by the end of 2023, Abu Dhabi International Airport will have accommodated
more than 22 million passengers.

The inauguration of the Passenger Terminal (A) has solidified the capital’s position as a global
gateway and a strategic hub for tourism and trade. The UAE maintains strong international
relations in the field of air transport, boasting 187 agreements and memoranda of cooperation
with numerous countries worldwide. This strengthens the aviation sector’s capacity to support
the state’s policies of economic and trade openness, and fosters opportunities for trade and
tourism growth between the UAE and various countries across the globe.

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