Air traffic movements reached 52,300 in April 2010 in the country, compared with 47,300 thousand in the same month last year, according to the figures released by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Average growth of UAE air traffic movements in the first four months of 2010 was 11.5 per cent, with a total of 205,700 air traffic movements, compared with 184,700 thousand air traffic movements during the same period last year.

Dubai ranked first with 23707 air traffic movements, accounting for  almost 45.3 per cent of total UAE air traffic movements. Transit flights stood next at 11632, representing 22 per cent of total air traffic movements. Abu Dhabi ranked third with 7674 air traffic movements, or 14.6 per cent of the total UAE air traffic movements in April 2010.

According to the report, air traffic movements in Sharjah International Airport ranked fourth with 5362 movements representing 10 per cent of the total UAE air traffic movements. Local flights between UAE airports were in the fifth position with 3367 movements, representing 6.4 per cent of total air traffic movements. Fujairah International Airport witnessed 335 movements, while Al Ain Airport and Ras Al Khaimah International Airport had 186 and 58 air traffic movements respectively. The three airports together represented 1.1 per cent of total UAE air traffic movements last April, the release said. 


 ramavaman@khaleejtimes.com