"Civil Aviation": increasing the number of flights in preparation for "Expo 2020 Dubai"

The General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed on the sidelines of the work of the third meeting of the Clean Fuel Working Group of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Abu Dhabi yesterday, that there is coordination with national carriers, to increase the number of trips to countries where there is a strong travel traffic, and it is expected to increase traffic Before Expo 2020 Dubai, such as India, China, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Eng. Sultan Al-Mansouri, said that the civil aviation sector is one of the most important economic sectors in the country, and plays a vital role in the future of aviation in the world.

He stressed that hosting this meeting confirms the UAE's support for «ICAO», and is keen to deliver a global message to the world that clean and sustainable fuel is one of the priorities of the UAE and the region.

High rating

In turn, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Dr. Thani Al-Zayoudi drew attention to the fact that the UAE’s national plan to reduce global emissions from aircraft received a high evaluation from all countries that submitted their plans to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2019.

For his part, the Director General of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Saif Al Suwaidi, said that the authority is keen to be active in all global and technical discussions concerned with preserving the environment in the aviation sector by contributing to vital work teams, pointing to the UAE's support for ICAO, and keenness To raise the international representation of the state in the aviation sector.

Expo 2020 Dubai

In the same context, Omar bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said that air traffic and the number of arrivals to the country will witness a significant increase during the second half of 2020, in conjunction with "Expo 2020 Dubai".

He added, in response to a question for "Emirates Today", on the sidelines of the meeting, that the country's airports and its four national carriers, as well as the fifth carrier that departs from Abu Dhabi this year, will be positively affected by the organization of "Expo 2020 Dubai", and witnesses active traffic, in addition to flights of other tankers . He emphasized that the authority started coordination with the national carriers to increase the number of trips to countries where there is a strong travel traffic, and it is expected that the movement will increase before "Expo 2020 Dubai", such as India, China, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, noting that the authority has sent official letters to Some countries, to increase the number of reciprocal trips by the Emirati and national carriers of these countries, especially since there are agreements that limit the number of flights.

Bin Ghaleb ruled out the occurrence of a major impact on the aviation sector due to the Corona virus, saying that it is a temporary phase and will disappear. She pointed out that the aviation sector has gone through previous global crises such as the SARS epidemic, stressing that many precautionary measures are being taken at all the country's airports. To protect from the Corona virus.

Clean fuel

Omar bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said that the third meeting of ICAO's Clean Fuel Working Group is the first of its kind to be held outside Canada, at a time when the UAE is the first country to host these meetings that discuss the use of clean energy In the aviation sector, reduce carbon emissions, and learn about the latest renewable clean energy research.

He stressed that the UAE is interested in using clean energy in the aviation sector, and wants to play a leading role in the use of clean energy and driving the change the world is witnessing in this regard.

He pointed out that the authority aims to educate the airline companies in the country about the importance of using clean energy, pointing to the experiences of "Etihad Airways" in the use of clean energy by aviation for years.