The Director General of the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, announced that the country's airports witnessed a 15 percent increase in air traffic during the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Expo City Dubai.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), he mentioned that Al Maktoum International Airport recorded the highest number of scheduled and unscheduled flights, such as private and business jets, on the first day of the conference, which fell on November 30, 2023. This day saw the highest daily air traffic in the history of civil aviation in the UAE, with 2,848 air movements.
He added that the General Civil Aviation Authority began preparations early in the year to host this major international event in coordination and cooperation with all its strategic partners. They organized coordination meetings and daily communication sessions to discuss daily plans and improve air navigation management systems to handle the expected increase and conduct simulation exercises, especially since the conference coincided with significant tourism activity at this time of year.
Al Suwaidi noted that the committees concerned with airspace and airports developed necessary proactive plans to deal with the anticipated increase in air traffic during the COP28 conference. He indicated the launch of a dedicated electronic platform to manage air traffic and closely monitor flights arriving in the country for the conference, in continuous coordination with air navigation authorities in neighboring countries.
He emphasized that the aviation sector achieved tangible success in organizing air traffic and ensuring the smooth and safe arrival and departure of all conference guests, thanks to the efforts of all strategic partners.
