Abu Dhabi: The UAE is lobbying European nations to grant enhanced landing rights for its airlines, the country’s top civil aviation official has said.
Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia already fly to a number of key European countries; however, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) wants to improve their access.
The UAE is after “greater access to France, Germany and Austria”, said Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General of the GCAA.
Etihad and Emirates are the only UAE airlines currently flying to these countries.
Al Suwaidi was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Middle East Cargo conference and exhibition in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
One sore point has been gaining access to the German capital, Berlin. Neither Etihad nor Emirates serve the UAE-Berlin route. However, neighbouring Gulf airline, Qatar Airways, does.
“We are keeping this channel open. We are trying with Germany to ease this issue. However, we have four points in Germany and now we’re trying to add some other points,” Al Suwaidi said.
Etihad’s equity stake partner, Air Berlin, flies daily between Berlin and Abu Dhabi.
Etihad has so far used its equity stake partnerships in a number of European carriers to position itself in the market.
It is currently in due diligence talks to take a stake in troubled Italian airline, Alitalia, and earlier this week Etihad’s President and chief executive, James Hogan, said that the airline was moving to enhance its existing partnership with Air Berlin.
Etihad is reportedly looking to lift its stake in Air Berlin from almost 30 per cent to 49.9 per cent and delist the airline from the London Stock Exchange.
The GCAA has been working on enhancing its relationship with European authorities and agencies. It was recently visited by auditors from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Al Suwaidi said the GCAA is performing beyond EASA’s expectations.
“They were impressed by the result… the UAE complies totally with their standards,” he said.
Questions have been raised as to whether the UAE would one day adopt Europe’s list of blacklisted airlines. It has been previously reported that a number of airlines blacklisted in Europe have been flying in the UAE.
Al Suwaidi said the GCAA and the UAE will continue to retain its sovereign right to evaluate who is permitted to fly in the country. “It will stay the same. Although we might exchange data about the operators,” he said.
