ABU DHABI, UAE – Airports in the country witnessed a 15 percent increase in air traffic during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) held at Expo City Dubai, said Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), he said that Al Maktoum International Airport recorded the highest number of scheduled and unscheduled flights, such as private jets and business jets, on the first day of the conference, which took place on November 30 2023.
The first day of the conference witnessed the highest daily air traffic rate in the history of civil aviation in the UAE with 2,848 flights, he added.
Al Suwaidi said the GCAA started preparing to host the event early in coordination with all its strategic partners.
They organized meetings and daily communication sessions to discuss plans, improve air navigation management systems to handle the expected increase and conduct simulation exercises.
This was especially crucial as the conference coincided with the peak tourism season during this time of the year.
He said the committees responsible for aviation and airports developed necessary contingency plans to deal with the expected increase in air traffic during COP28.
They launched a dedicated electronic platform to control air traffic and closely monitor incoming flights in continuous coordination with air traffic administrations in neighboring countries.
He emphasized that the UAE aviation sector, thanks to the efforts of all strategic partners, ensured the smooth and safe arrival and departure of all conference guests.
