Dubai: The Dubai World Central airport handled 89,729 tonnes of air freight during its first full calendar year of operations last year, Dubai Airports said in a statement on Monday.

The airport body owns and manages operations and development of the two Dubai airports – Dubai International and DWC.

As per the 2011 traffic statistics, DWC’s average monthly air cargo volumes totalled 7,477 tonnes compared to 795 tonnes per month recorded during the airport’s first half [year] operations in 2010. Cargo transit traffic, meanwhile, constituted 32,989 tonnes or 37 per cent of volume.

Aircraft movements for the year came in at 8,198 of which 3,609 (44 per cent) were commercial cargo flights, 4,548 (55.5 per cent) were test and training flights and 41 (0.5 per cent) were general aviation operations, statistics reveal. During 2011, 36 airlines operated into DWC, predominantly as cargo charter operations, Dubai Airports stated. More info

Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports, talks about passenger traffic and the outlook for the travel industry. Dubai Airports handled a record 51 million passengers last year. He speaks from Dubai with Mark Barton on Bloomberg Television

Source:  www.youtube.com

Etihad Airways

Dubai, January 18, 2012: The Airport Show’s 2012 edition looks all set to feature a significant growth in the number of participants despite the economic crisis in the world, thereby reflecting the importance of the region on the world aviation map.

Airport Show brings the global aviation industry to Dubai in search of growth opportunities.

Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organisers of the show which will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Airports

, expects a growth of 15 to 20 per cent in terms of exhibitors for this year’s show which in turn highlights Airport Show’s key contribution to the growing aviation industry in the region and the world.

Over the next 10 years, the UAE will be investing AED500 billion in upgrading and developing its aviation infrastructure, improving connectivity and cementing its reputation as a key growth driver in global aviation, according to Mr. Sultan Al Mansoori, UAE’s Minister of Economy and Chairman of Board of Directors of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has reported that about 2.7 billion passengers travelled by air in 2011, a 5.1 per cent rise in the air passenger traffic compared with the previous year.

The Middle East region saw the biggest rise in international passenger growth recording 11.9 per cent year-on-year rise followed by Europe with 9.5 percent rise, Latin America nine per cent rise, North America 2.9 per cent, Asia-Pacific region 6.3 per cent and the African region 4.7 per cent.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projections rated the UAE as the seventh of the Top 10 markets in 2014 for international passengers, with 82.3 million passengers projected to use the airports in the second biggest Arab economy. IATA also indicated that by 2014 there will be 3.3 billion air travelers.

According to Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, the fastest growing markets for international passenger traffic will be China (10.8 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (10.2 per cent), Vietnam (10.2 per cent), Malaysia (10.1 per cent) and Sri Lanka (9.5 per cent).

The Middle East is expected to have the fastest growth rate at 9.4 per cent until the year 2014. The UAE, Kuwait and Jordan will be among the top 10 fastest growing countries, with the UAE projected to rank 7^th for handling over 82.3 million international passenger within the next two year.

Mr. Mohamad Bader-Eddin, Show Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: “The Airport Show, in its 12 year running, will be a great additional value to the region’s aviation industry and will be enabling significant deals and contracts, spurred by the momentum in the industry.”

The show is firmly established as one of the world’s leading events devoted exclusively to airport construction, operations, technology and services. The Airport Show is supported by leading international industry associations and local government authorities.

Airport Show 2012 will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center (DICEC) from May 22 to 24. About 5,000 trade visitors from 62 countries attended the 2011 edition.

International experts have said that the aviation sector is very vital for the Middle East economy and they believe that in the next couple of years it will add more challenges to the decision-makers to offer better facilities and services to ensure that Middle East airports handle the growth in passenger demands smoothly.

The value of projects that are being executed and planned by the organisations participating in the 2012 edition of Airport Show is in excess of US$30 billion, making the Airport Show a not-to-be-missed B2B event. The Middle East region is all set to see billions of dollar in investments in airports expansion by 2020.

According to indicative figures provided by UAE aviation officials, the international airports in the UAE closed the year 2011 handling roughly about 70 million passengers, including more than 50 million in Dubai, 12 million in Abu Dhabi and seven million in Sharjah. The capacity of the UAE airports will be increased to handle 250 million passengers by 2020.

The UAE’s achievements in the aviation sector and the huge expansion drive will make the UAE one of the most important air transport hubs in the world and will make the UAE proud of its growth records in the coming years despite the economic crisis in the world, Mr. Bader-Eddin said. More info

Dubai: Air traffic movement in the UAE recorded a 7.6 per cent jump in 2011 over the previous year despite global challenges.

The country’s airports reported steady increases in traffic during the year, according to data released by the Shaikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre.

The number of flights in December topped 61,197, with an average of 1,974 flights per day, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said yesterday in a statement.

It added that Dubai International Airport occupied the top slot with 28,223 flights and 13,233 overflights. Abu Dhabi International Airport recorded 8,686 flights.

Capacity expansion

“The figures support the basis for expanding both Dubai International Airport and also Abu Dhabi as Emirates and Etihad look for new growth opportunities and it’s likely that this sort of strong performance will provide a greater emphasis to speed up development for additional airport capacity at DWC-Al Maktoum International Airport too,” said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research.

UAE airports are likely to experience further growth in traffic, according to Ahmad.

“For 2012, we are likely to see the continued upward trajectory of both airplane movements and passenger traffic as new jets are inducted and new routes opening up — not just from legacy carriers like Emirates, but also at the other end of the scale where the likes of flydubai have been expanding at a near meteoric pace,” he told Gulf News.

Meanwhile, according to the Shaikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre report, January 2011 saw the highest percentage increase — 10.3 per cent — in air traffic, the GCAA stated.

“What’s clear from these annual figures is that despite the global economic pressures, the UAE’s intrinsic support and development of its aviation policy is yielding significant economic and business returns for the country, especially to emirates like Dubai, where Emirates has been growing rapidly for more than a decade,” Ahmad said. More info

INTERNATIONAL. Airport mobile commerce company Airport U has hailed the launch of myDXB, the new mobile app that it developed for Dubai Airports.

The Dubai Airports App aims to drive travellers towards commercial services at Dubai International Airport

As reported, myDXB is a mobile application for Apple and Android devices designed to make navigating one of the world’s busiest and largest airports easier.

Available free from the app store, myDXB provides information on flights and gate numbers as well as way-finding to locate customer-facing services across the three terminals of Dubai International Airport.

Built with a simple interface, myDXB can be downloaded on iPhones and iPads as well as on the wide range of Android phones and tablets in seconds. While Dubai International offers free Wi-Fi Internet connectivity throughout the airport, the directory element of the application has been designed to operate offline so that more customers can access and benefit from it.

Airport U was commissioned by Dubai Airports to create the app. The company said: “The app, based on unique navigation technology, provides innovative and user-friendly features to the airport’s travellers with a strong focus on commercial opportunities with detailed dynamic maps and descriptions of the food & beverage and retail concessions.

“myDXB, based on the Airport U platform, shows offers, promotions and has links to the concession websites so that passengers can browse in advance of their journey, plan their time at the airport and visit their favourite restaurants, bars and shops. Fitted with a personal FID, passengers are reassured they can dwell in the lounge before their flight.”

Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 1 went partially dark and several flights delayed following a power outage on Saturday evening.

DXB Dubai International Airport - Terminal 1

All flights departing from gates A B C and D at Terminal 1 were moved to gates E and F. There were long queues of passengers assembled at the two gates that were functional.

The problem occurred at around 5.30pm, leaving the conveyor belts carrying luggage from check-in counters to stop working. Lights at some of the gates also went off.

Speaking over the phone to Emirates24|7 at 8.45pm, an airport official confirmed the incident and said efforts were on to rectify the problem. “We are not sure as to what caused the issue. However all passengers checking in have been asked to move to gates E and F.”

When asked if any flights were delayed he said, “There are some flights that are going to be delayed.”

Agitated passengers said they’d had to wait much longer than they were accustomed to at the efficient Dubai Airport. More info

Arabtec, the largest construction company in the UAE, has won a Dh561 million (US$152.7m) contract for the expansion of Dubai International Airport.

The award follows Arabtec’s Dh636m contract announced last month for infrastructure work in Saudi Arabia.

“The ability to secure infrastructure work is the key,” said Mohammad Kamal, an analyst with Arqaam Capital. “The bulk of the opportunity in the Middle East is in infrastructure.”

Arabtec will work on the structure, mechanical engineering and plumbing, systems and finishes for the expansion of Terminal 2. The project will take 25 months, the company said.

Arabtec has won 12 airport-related contracts in recent years, including previous work at Dubai International and Dubai World Central, the company said.

“We are proud to be awarded repeated projects with Dubai Civil Aviation and we very much value this special relationship which we have built over the years,” said Greg Christofides, the chief executive of Arabtec.

Arabtec’s stock jumped 5.7 per cent on Tuesday, before the announcement, but fell back 1.8 per cent yesterday to close at Dh1.62.

The project will add only about 4 per cent to the company’s backlog announced at the end of the third quarter, Mr Kamal said. It stood at Dh14.7 billion at the end of last year, Arqaam estimates.

Arabtec’s primary focus has been on residential and commercial projects, markets that have slowed considerably in recent years.

“The bulk of their award wins in 2011 have been in line with core competencies of residential structures,” Mr Kamal said. “So any momentum in winning infrastructure work is a welcome development.” More info

Dubai: Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing international airlines, is celebrating the New Year by offering exceptional discounts on airfares to more than 100 cities, when booking from now until January 9, 2012.

Customers can save up to 25 per cent off all published First Class, Business Class and Economy Class fares departing between 22 January and 30 June 2012, when travelling round-trip to any destination on Emirates’ extensive global network.

“Whether your New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with family and friends, visit a dream destination or follow your favourite sports team at a far-flung tournament, our global sale is designed to ensure that Emirates customers enjoy the perfect start to 2012,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President – Passenger Sales Worldwide.

“For the first time in Emirates’ history, we are welcoming in the New Year by offering unprecedented savings to our customers. With up to 25 percent off Economy Class, Business Class and First Class airfares to every destination on our international network, there has never been a better time to experience the award-winning product and onboard service which has made Emirates Airline of the Year in 2011,” Antinori added.

More info

The next edition of The Middle East Business Aviation show (MEBA) will be held at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport – Dubai World Central, from 11 to 13 December 2012.

The 2010 show attracted 6,200 visitors from 77 countries, a 13 per cent increase over the previous show in 2008 and included more than 500 VIPS, including members of the region’s ruling royal families, plus other key buyers and buying influencers.

Michele Van Akelijen, Aerospace Director for Organiser, F&E Aerospace, said: “Dubai is the aviation hub of the Middle East, making access easy for exhibitors and visitors alike to come together at the region’s newest and biggest airport complex, Dubai World Central, for the fifth edition of MEBA, which is guaranteed to be bigger and better than ever.”

In its recent forecast, MEBAA has stated that the number of business aircraft in the region is expected to grow from the current 453 to 1,330 by 2019 and, while it’s currently valued at US$493m, it is expected to grow to more than US$1 billion by 2018.