Page 704 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2024

"More than 90 years later, the UAE's civil aviation sector leads numerous global competitiveness
indicators, surpassing many developed nations,” GCAA noted, adding: “The UAE now boasts six
national carriers (Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Air Arabia, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, and Wizz Air
Abu Dhabi) renowned for luxury, quality, security, and safety.

“During the first eight months of this year, our national carriers operated 4,807 weekly flights to
numerous destinations around the world. In addition, the UAE has 10 airports, including 8
international airports ranked among the best and busiest in the world. These airports welcomed
more than 97.9 million passengers in the first eight months of this year, reflecting a growth rate of
12.6 per cent, compared to 86.9 million passengers during the same period last year," GCAA noted.

ADVERTISING

Rapid growth of aviation sector

Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and chairman of GCAA board of directors, noted:
"The UAE is globally recognised for the rapid growth of its aviation infrastructure, which accounted
for less than 1 per cent of the GDP (gross domestic product) at the founding of the country in 1971;
while today the sector contributes up to 13.3 per cent of the GDP.”

Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri

According to estimates from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the air transport
market in the UAE is expected to grow by 170 per cent over the next 20 years, resulting in an
addition of 101 million passenger flights by 2037.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/aviation/uae-airports-passenger-traffic-reach-98-million-
for-first-8-months-of-2024