Despite ongoing military tensions in the Middle East and various restrictions on regional airspace, the UAE’s Dubai International Airport is being operated at almost full capacity. Airport operations are normal and there has been no significant impact on passenger traffic, said Dubai Airports Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paul Griffiths.
In an interview given to Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Farnborough International Airshow, Griffiths said, after reviewing the overall operation of the airport in the morning, he saw that all services were being operated normally. He also noted that the airport has been “as busy as usual” in recent days.
He said that Emirates Airlines currently operates 80 to 90 percent of its regular flight schedule. Despite restrictions on some airspace in the north, safe and effective flight operations have been made possible using Saudi Arabian airspace and alternative routes to the south. He also said that these alternative routes will continue to be used until the airspace of Iran and Iraq is fully opened.
According to Griffiths, Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport have transported more than 6 million passengers since the start of the regional crisis. At the same time, more than 32,000 aircraft took off and more than 213,000 tons of cargo were transported. According to him, these figures bear evidence of the capability and resilience of Dubai’s aviation infrastructure despite geopolitical uncertainty.
There are currently around 50 international airlines operating at Dubai International Airport, which is about half the normal time. However, Emirates’ handling of additional flights has filled a large part of the capacity deficit, he said.
Besides, most of the foreign airlines are gradually restarting their services. However, the resumption of services by some major European airlines, such as British Airways and Air France, is being delayed, mainly due to the respective government’s travel guidelines and insurance conditions. Griffiths clarified that there is no operational problem of Dubai Airport.
He also said that the demand for travel through Dubai is still high. He expressed hope that the airport will soon return to 100% operational capacity if the regional situation normalizes.
Source: Gulf News
