Dubai's first-ever Aviation Environment Strategy and Policy to be floated soon

Dubai: The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) is giving finishing touches to the first-ever Aviation Environment Strategy and Policy to meet the current and future growth of aviation sector, while ensuring sustainable environment. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Municipality for the control of high-rise structures that might be airspace obstacles in the emirate, already home to one of the largest clusters of high-rise buildings in the world. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of DCAA and Chairman of Dubai Airports, said the October 27 opening of Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central (DWC) will be the beginning of new era in Dubai's illustrious aviation history. The DCAA's plans and comments of H. H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum about Al Maktoum International Airport in DWC have been revealed in the September edition of Via Dubai, the official bilingual newsletter of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA). In his column, Sheikh Ahmed, who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, talked about the change that the October 27 opening of Dubai World Central (DWC) Al Maktoum International as Dubai's second international airport will bring to the emirate's vibrant aviation sector. He said: "This landmark facility is our major move to consolidate Dubai's position on the world aviation and tourism map. Dubai Airports and DCAA are taking all measures necessary to enable the new airport start its operations efficiently and smoothly, worthy of the good reputation we have gained over the years." He disclosed that approximately 42 million passengers used the Dubai International Airport during the first eight months of this year. Dubai is targeting 100 million passengers by 2020 when all the development works at the Dubai International Airport would be complete. Dubai is currently the world's busiest airport for international passengers with a projected passenger handling of 65 million in 2013. Dubai International Airport now serves more than 145 airlines flying to 260 destinations across six continents. The boom in the business aviation market in the region has been pointed out by Mike Berry, Managing Director of ExecuJet Middle East, who, in an interview, argued that the companies in Europe are focusing more on the Gulf region due to the weak Eurozone economy and tapping the rich growth potential. For his part, Hilal Al Marri, Director General of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), stressed the strategic importance of Dubai in the sectors of aviation and tourism, noting that DTCM plans to raise the contribution of tourism industry to the GDP of Emirates to Dh300 billion by 2020 compared to Dh100 billion now. – Emirates News Agency, WAM