Air Traffic Movement in UAE experienced a remarkable growth during 2011, with an increase of 7.6 percent compared to the previous year. Local airports accounted steady increase in the rates of air traffic movements during the past twelve months, as reported by Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Center.
The total number of air traffic movement during last December reached 61197, with an average of 1974 movement per day. Dubai International Airport came first with a total of 28223 air traffic movement in December 2011, followed by over flights with 13233 movements, and Abu Dhabi airport with 8686 air traffic movements.
The distribution of air traffic movement over the remaining airports went as follows: 5522 air traffic movements at Sharjah Airport, 186 at Fujairah Airport, 84 at Al Ain Airport, 555 at Ras Al Khaimah Airport and 495 air traffic movements at Al Maktoum Airport.
Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Center report indicates that January 2011 saw the highest percentage in terms of increase in air traffic, where there was an increase by 10.3. That is, a daily average of 1846 air traffic movement compared to an average of 1673 in the same month in 2010. The month of September 2012 witnessed a significant increase compared to 2010, as well, reaching 9.7 increase in air traffic movement – 1926 in 2011 compared to 1756 during September 2010-.
“The remarkable increase in air traffic movement in UAE is attributed to the prosperity of business and tourism in the country, UAE possesses all necessary factors to attract business people and tourists from around the globe,” said Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Highest number of air traffic movement in a single month last year was in October with a total of 61705 air traffic movements.
A quick look at the reports of the Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Center shows a boom in air traffic during the last decade, where 2001 scored a daily average of air traffic movement of 736 compared to a daily average of 1900 in 2011.
It is noteworthy that the General Civil Aviation Authority scored many significant achievements on Air Navigation Services level; it has completed site acceptance of the CADAS aeronautical information management (AIM) database from Comsoft in Abu Dhabi.
The GCAA is the first air navigation service provider in the Middle East to publish aeronautical information (AIP) electronically, using the Comsoft AIXM 5.1 database. The database and charting components can exchange data automatically via open standards and share data with other aeronautical applications. The AIXM 5.1 database is suitable for both static and dynamic data and anticipates future applications, such as the Digital Notam office.
