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Abu Dhabi is well on its way
to becoming a regional industrial center,
investing over $3 billion to develop its petrochemical
base and increase its upstream gas handling
capacity alone.
Abu Dhabi is also pushing to establish itself
as a leading transit center and tourist destination,
upgrading and expanding all elements of its
infrastructure and transport facilities.
Abu Dhabi International
Airport is playing a key role as the major
entry point to the emirate; passenger arrivals
are increasing year by year.
Khaled al Mohairbi,
Abu Dhabi International Airport's director,
says overall traffic through the airport in
1998 reached 3.4 million, an increase of 8
percent over 1997. This included a 7 percent
increase in departures, a 10 percent increase
in arrivals and an 8 percent increase in transit
passengers.
Of the total,
33 percent were from the Middle East, 19 percent
were from Gulf Cooperation Council countries
and 25 percent were from Asia, including 13
percent from India. Another 11 percent of
passengers were from Europe, with a variety
of other nationalities making up the final
12 percent.
Mr. Mohairbi
says more than 40 airlines now operate from
the airport, linking it to more than 90 international
airports. Over the past year a number of new
airlines were attracted by the airport's strategic
location and first-class facilities. ''During
1998, we signed agreements with two charter
airlines, Britannia and LTU, under which they
will utilize Abu Dhabi for their technical
stopovers and as a transit point during flights
between Europe and the Far East, '' he says.
A number of
new airlines also began operations out of
Abu Dhabi during 1998. These included Shaheen
Air, Air Maldives, Air Afrique and Czech Airlines.
Their entry has added northern Pakistan, the
Maldives, West Africa and Mauritania to the
countries and regions connected to Abu Dhabi
and increased the choice and flexibility of
routes available to passengers.
Mr. Mohairbi
is confident that the major expansion under
way in all aspects of the airport will confirm
Abu Dhabi's role as both a major transit point
and a major destination for the Gulf and the
wider Middle East region well into the 21st
century. ''Once our airport expansion program
is complete,'' he says, ''Abu Dhabi International
Airport will be offering services in keeping
with the promise of the new millennium.''
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