Abu Dhabi, UAE – Passenger traffic through the UAE’s airports during the first quarter of 2023 increased by 56.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022, according to Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Approximately 31.86 million passengers passed through the UAE’s airports during the period, representing an increase of more than 11.48 million passengers from the same period in 2022.
Al Suwaidi emphasized that the UAE’s civil aviation sector has managed to restore pre-pandemic passenger traffic levels, reflecting global confidence in the country’s civil aviation sector and its ability to recover and achieve growth.
He expressed his expectations for continued growth of air traffic in the UAE’s airports this year and highlighted the success of the civil aviation sector in the classification of three national low-cost carriers – Air Arabia, flydubai, and Wizz Air – among the world’s top 20 safest low-cost airlines.
In addition to passenger traffic, Al Suwaidi mentioned that the UAE has registered 894 operators and around 21,321 registered unmanned aircraft for leisure with the GCAA by the end of Q1 2023. He highlighted the significance of registering and issuing the necessary operational approvals for both hobbyists and commercial use in accordance with specified legislative frameworks.
Al Suwaidi also noted that the size of investments in the UAE’s civil aviation sector was more than approximately one trillion dirhams, while the size of investments in the development and expansion of airports reached AED85 billion to accommodate over 300 million passengers annually.
The aviation sector in the country contributes about 14 percent of the gross domestic product, while in major countries, the aviation sector’s contribution does not exceed 2 to 3 percent.