Dubai on the Right Track and Retained its Position as the World's Busiest International Airport

• Jamal al Hai, Fast recovery is the outcome of a successful handling of the crisis 

• Adopt new technologies to help airlines plan efficient routes and reduce carbon footprint: GALF

• dans efficiently managed more than 1,338 aircraft movements daily through Dubai airports

• The UAE is expected to come out with draft regulations on Vertiport in the first quarter of 2023

• GCAA registered 20,000 private drone users, 870 commercial drones, and 181 commercial drone organisations to operate drones

"Dubai is on the right track and retained its position as the world’s busiest international airport with 29.1 million passengers and just last week Dubai Airport announced registering its busiest quarter since 2020," said Jamal al Hai, Deputy CEO of Dubai Airports.

Delivering the welcome address at the Airport Innovation & Development Conference at Gulf Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF) held along the 21st edition of Airport Show in Dubai, Jamal al Hai, Deputy CEO of Dubai Airports, said, “We are on the right track and Dubai proudly retained its position as the world’s busiest international airport in 2021 with 29.1 million passengers and just last week Dubai Airport announced registering its busiest quarter since 2020.”

Welcoming the delegates he said Global Airport Leaders’ Forum is organized in person after two years of pandemic, marking a new healed era of aviation.

“This is in fact the outcome of a successful handling of the crisis and what you see in Dubai today is the outcome of a flawless response to the pandemic achieved through a balance between protecting the health and wellbeing of the people while minimizing impact on business and economy.”

The 9th edition of GALF opened in Dubai along the 21st edition of Airport Show with a call to adopt new technologies that can help airlines plan more efficient routes and work with other stakeholders to help reduce the overall carbon footprint.

Delivering the welcome address at the Airport Innovation & Development Conference at Gulf Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF) held along the 21st edition of Airport Show in Dubai, Ibrahim Ahli, Deputy CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans) said Dubai is galloping in all economic and social sectors, attracting businesses, talents, investors and tourists in hordes. Dubai is fast becoming the Future City of the world driven by the highest embracing of technology, relaxed regulations and reforms. All this will result in increased traffic and it underscores the need for enhancing safety, capacity and efficiency of the airspace of Dubai, where dans plays a crucial role.

His speech was read out by Khalid Aljabir, Senior Vice President - Operations, dans, on behalf of Ibrahim Ahli.

“We have proved our mettle when dans efficiently managed more than 1,338 aircraft movements daily through Dubai airports, before the COVID-19 pandemic period. dans manages the air traffic through Dubai International which ranks first in the world for international passengers since 2014 and it had handled about 1.115 billion passengers on more than 7.47 million flights since the airport started operating in 1960,” he said.

“With Global Airport Leaders, we are welcoming a new era of air traffic management. The great vision and timely acts of our Leaders helped us overcome the difficulties with determination and confidence as well know that the future is bright. The aviation sector is the engine of growth for the UAE’s economy and the fastest recovery and the ensuing economic growth and the regain of business confidence have once again established this coveted and crucial position of the aviation sector,” he added.

The track record of dans is commendable as the most efficient air traffic service provider in the region. We take pride in implementing the region’s first procedures for Enhanced Wake Turbulence Separation (eWTS) Minima within the controlled zone.

The Dubai RECAT-Enhanced Wake Turbulence Separation is part of the vision to make Dubai the airport for the world, enhance its airspace and the efficiency of airports along with profitability of carriers.

In his keynote address titled ‘Standardising Regulations Regionally and Globally’.

Mohammed Faisal al Dossari, Senior Director, Air Navigation and Aerodromes Department, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said post-COVID the industry must work across all aspects of aviation to standardize regulations and spur growth.

The UAE is expected to come out with draft regulations on Vertiport in the first quarter of 2023 and publish them in the fourth quarter of 2023 to be implemented in the first quarter of 2024.

Al Dossari said the number of GCAA registered commercial drone organisations is increasing. Up to 2022, we have registered 20,000 private drone users, and registered 870 commercial drones, and r 181 commercial drone organisations to operate drones.

Future developments include Unmanned Traffic Management, Scheduled UA operations, Night Operations, Multiple Unmanned Aircraft Operations, Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Operations, Urban Air Mobility, Unmanned Aircraft Delivery, High Speed Unmanned Aircraft and High Altitude Unmanned Aircraft.

Yahya Abdalla Al Hammadi, CEO, Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), in his keynote address ‘Disrupting ATM to support recovery of the industry’ said, "Air Traffic Control can play a huge role in reducing carbon emissions by adopting new technologies that can help airlines plan more efficient routes and work with other stakeholders to help reduce the overall carbon footprint."

The 21st edition of the annual Airport Show hosted by Dubai, the world’s largest annual airport event, was opened by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, under whose patronage the Airport Show is held.

Organised by RX Global, the world’s largest airport industry B2B platform has a sharp focus on sustainability to help the aviation industry in achieving a more sustainable airport industry that is aiming to reduce carbon foot print year on year.

The 21st edition of the Airport Show is supported by Dubai Airports, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), dnata (part of Emirates Airline and Group), Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), and Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans).