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National airlines’ fleet
to grow by 13 per cent

ABU DHABI — The fleet of national airlines in the UAE will grow by 13 per cent in the coming years to touch 728 aircraft by 2020, compared to 157 aircraft registered in 2007, according to projections made by General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Disclosing this to Khaleej Times here on Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, Director General, GCAA said the number of airlines registered in the UAE is expected to reach 48 in 2010 compared with the 26 airlines which were registered 
in 2003.

There will be 590000 air movements in the UAE by the end of 2011. The GCAA estimates that there will be six per cent growth over the next ten years in the number of air movements the country taking will bring the figure to 997000 by 2020

Saif Mohammad said GCAA could achieve 83.05 per cent success in implementing its operational plans in 2009, up from 71 per cent in 2008. The Authority had already achieved 93 per cent success in this field in mid 2010.

There has been a remarkable increase in the share of satisfied customers of GCAA from 70 per cent in 2008 to 88 per cent in 2009. The percentage of Emiratization remained stable in spite of the 47 per cent increase in the number of staff since 2007 and increasing competition for capabilities in the aviation sector.

Turnover among staff decreased from 15.81 per cent in 2008 to 8.89 per cent in 2009, which reflects a 13 per cent increase in employee satisfaction from 58 per cent in 2008 to 71 per cent in 2009, the GCAA 
official disclosed.

At the global level international level, GCAA was able to take a proactive approach in managing negotiations and transportation rights to meet the needs of the aviation sector in the UAE Saif Mohammad said. In 2009, GCAA reviewed bilateral relations with 35 states, 30 per cent up in comparison with 2008.

The number of states with which the UAE has signed bilateral agreements for organising air transportation services has now reached 129 states.

GCAA has also started a program in 2009 to complete the constitutional procedures for officially signing and implementing 70 air services agreements previously initiated by the UAE. This programme was given priority over the three coming years,

“We are participating in growing number of international meetings on air transportation and encouraging other states towards more liberation of international air transportation sector,” he said. Saif Mohammad said the number of licenses issued to civil aviation crew, pilots and engineers went up from 2801 in 2004 to 6142 in 2008, which meant a 22 per cent rise in four years.

On the efforts to promote domestic manufacture of aircraft he said two agreements have been signed with the European Civil Aviation Organization and the US Federal Aviation Department for sharing experience in coordinating joint licensing procedures for local manufacturing companies, in order to limit double procedures. 
—ramavarman@khaleejtimes.com