The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in a report issued yesterday, that the aviation sector provides about 800 thousand jobs directly and indirectly in the UAE currently, and pumping 47.4 billion dollars in the economy of the country, accounting for 13.3% of GDP, Ongoing.
Etihad Aviation Group has confirmed that it will complete the renovation of its fleet by 2026, and is focused on improving its products and services to passengers.
Aviation sector
Mohammed Ali Al Bakri, IATA's regional vice president for the Middle East, revealed that the aviation sector is providing 800,000 jobs directly and indirectly in the UAE today and pumping $ 47.4 billion into the UAE's economy. 13.3% of the country's GDP this year.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Al Bakri said the continued focus on the sector will create an additional 620,000 jobs and contribute $ 80 billion to the country's economy by 2037.
He predicted that the UAE aviation market will grow by 170% in 2037, supporting 1.4 million jobs and contributing $ 128 billion to the country's economy, as long as the government continues to implement its positive agenda towards the aviation sector.
Facilitate and openness
Al Bakri explained that the UAE is the world's leader in facilitating air trade operations, and also outperforms all countries in the Middle East in opening up visas at a time when it launches its flights to all parts of the world, making it a strong position in the aviation sector.
He pointed out that the UAE has succeeded in achieving significant growth in air connectivity with the continents of the world during the past five years (2013 to 2018), where the link between the UAE and North America increased by 46%, and between the UAE and Africa by 37%, and with the Asia-Pacific region by 33% The linkage between the UAE and Europe increased by 19%, with the Middle East by 13%, and with Latin America by 10%.
Al Bakri said that the UAE has witnessed an economic transformation during the past 25 years, and the aviation sector has been a fundamental axis in this transformation, pointing out that the policies of government support for the development of the aviation sector have resulted in very rewarding profits.
Al Bakri called for continued investment in skills and human capacity building, and maximizing the use of technologies and innovations to enhance efficiency, pointing out that the UAE is a leading country in the field of innovation to improve the experiences of travelers.
The rapid adoption of modern technology and initiatives to integrate the aviation sector and future modes of transport will enhance the UAE's competitive position as a global aviation hub.
«Etihad Airways»
Etihad Airways' Chief Commercial Officer, Robin Camark, said the restructuring of Etihad Airways, which includes a new organizational structure and operating model, was going very well.
He added that Etihad will introduce a number of new wide-body aircraft in service by 2024 at the latest, to complete the fleet renewal process by 2026.
He stressed that the company focuses on improving the products and services provided to passengers, and the use of artificial intelligence to improve the experience of passengers, through the development of an integrated plan based on innovation to meet the challenges faced by the air transport sector in the current time, and take advantage of new technologies, and is implementing projects in the framework of sustainability , Reduce emissions, reduce plastic use.
He pointed out that more than 21,000 employees, from more than 150 nationalities, work in the «Etihad Airways» group, and 51% of the company's employees in the UAE are female.
3 areas of focus
In its report, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) identified three areas that the government can focus on to support the growth of the aviation sector and attract greater value to the UAE: increasing capacity on flights to ease congestion, meeting future demand, and aligning infrastructure investments with expected growth.