Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
UAE invests $272bn in airport infrastructure
The UAE has so far invested Dh1 trillion ($270 billion) in airport infrastructure development projects, the General Civil Aviation Authority's director-general has said.
The UAE has so far invested Dh1 trillion ($272 billion) in airport infrastructure development projects, the General Civil Aviation Authority's director-general has said.
In a statement released by the UAE aviation authority, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi said such investments span development projects across the country and a fleet of 884 commercial aircraft, a Wam news agency report quoted.
The aviation sector is experiencing significant and rapid growth in air transport and airport construction and expansion, leading to the growth of regional and global economies, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, the world's fastest growing market, although Europe still maintains strong growth prospects until 2040, he said.
According to forecast reports issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global passenger numbers will rise to 4.72 billion in 2020, up four percent from the 4.54 billion passengers recorded in 2019.
"I believe there is a need to inject more money in order to keep pace with massive and successive developments in the sector," Al Suwaidi noted.
The GCAA director-general's remarks come ahead of the upcoming Global Investment in Aviation Summit (GIAS 2020) set to take place from January 27 to 29 in Dubai. It will spotlight airport development projects and infrastructure investments as part of its two-day agenda.