UAE air traffic up 9.11% in October

Dubai: Air traffic movements in the UAE grew 9.11 per cent in October compared to the same month last year, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said in a report.

The GCAA monthly report indicated that total air traffic movements in October were 57,295, with an average of 1,848 movements per day.

The report for October showed the number of air traffic movements in each UAE airport.

Dubai ranked first with 25,192 traffic movements. Overflights were next at 12,515 while Abu Dhabi ranked third with 8,057 air traffic movements.

According to the report, air traffic movements in Sharjah International Airport ranked fourth with 5,273. Local flights between UAE airports were fifth with 5,224 movements. Fujairah International Airport had 405 movements, while Al Ain Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport had 213 and 391 respectively.

Al Maktoum International Airport had 25 shipping movements.

The report indicated that as far as air safety is concerned, GCAA completed 12 licensing transactions for aircraft maintenance companies, four aircraft registration certificate transactions and 43 airworthiness certificate transactions.

Further, GCAA conducted 29 inspections and audits, issued three air operator certificates, completed seven aircraft modification transactions and issued 14 simulator certificates and 44 examination permits.

In addition,seven foreign aircraft were inspected. In terms of Reporting of Safety Incident system, 68 aviation incidents were reported.

Air service agreement

The UAE represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Saturday discussed in Bogota, the pending provisions of an Air Services Agreement (ASA) with the Republic of Colombia which was initialled on June 1, 2009.

Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General, GCAA, headed the UAE delegation while Santiago Castro G. director-general for Civil Aviation Authority, headed the Colombia delegation. Representatives from the two states also attended.