by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:22 PM ET, Fri November 1, 2019
If the United Arab Emirates is to remain a leading global aviation hub it will need to prioritize increasing airspace capacity.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) regional vice president for the Middle East, Muhammad Ali Albakri, said in a recently released statement that sufficient airspace capacity, infrastructure investments and new technology will be critical to the country's future.
"Over the past 25 years, the UAE has experienced an economic transformation; aviation has been at the heart of this evolution," said Albakri. "To maintain the country's competitiveness as a leading global aviation hub, sufficient airspace capacity to meet demand, infrastructure investments aligned to growth and rapid implementation of new technology are essential."
Air transport supports 800,000 jobs and contributes $47.4 billion to the UAE economy, which represents about 13.3 percent of the nation's GDP, according to IATA.
Pursuing a positive agenda for aviation could see that rise to an additional 620,000 jobs and $80 million in GDP by 2037, according to a recent IATA study.
The same report claimed that airspace capacity's failure to keep pace with demand growth is causing significant delays in the region.
IATA called on states to "replace political fragmentation with collaborative cross-border decision-making" to ensure that the global competitiveness of hubs in the Middle East is not affected.
Investment in infrastructure, guided by new technologies and innovative processes, in particular, will increase efficiency and improve passenger experience throughout the region, IATA said.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
