To meet demand, United Arab Emirates airlines fly to 606 destinations

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UAE airlines are significantly expanding their global presence, driven by the country’s strong tourism and business sectors and the rebound in travel demand.

According to official figures, UAE airlines currently fly to around 606 destinations worldwide, including passenger, scheduled and cargo routes.

In addition, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) forecasts that passenger traffic will reach 140 million, state news agency WAM reported.

This represents an increase of 3.4 percent compared to the 586 destinations recorded at the end of 2023.

The airlines’ breakdown by “destination” is as follows: Emirates serves over 144 destinations, Etihad Airways covers 79, flydubai flies to 125 destinations, Air Arabia reaches 218 destinations and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi connects 40 destinations, WAM’s report said.

UAE Airlines: Passenger and Destinations

Etihad Airways has been particularly active in expanding its route network and is aiming to reach 125 destinations by 2030.

The airline plans to take advantage of its strategic location between Asia and Europe and aims to increase its annual passenger volume to 33 million.

This year, Etihad has launched several new destinations and increased its flight frequencies, including a significant increase in connections to Thailand and the resumption of flights to Nairobi.

In the first seven months of 2024, Etihad Airways carried 10.4 million passengers and expanded its fleet to 93 aircraft from 78 in July 2023.

The airline reported a net profit of Dh851 million in the first half of 2024, up 48 percent year-on-year, with revenue rising 21 percent to Dh11.7 billion.

Emirates, whose network spans 144 destinations across six continents, continues to expand seating capacity to meet growing demand. The airline is currently modernising 80 Boeing 777 aircraft as part of a $3 billion investment to improve the passenger experience.

flydubai flies to 125 destinations in 58 countries, including recently added destinations such as EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg.

Read: flydubai introduces direct flights to Basel

The airline plans to add seven new aircraft to its fleet by the end of the year and hire over 130 new pilots to support the growth of its network, including new routes to Basel, Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius.

Air Arabia Group, which operates from six hubs, including 113 in the United Arab Emirates, reported a net profit of AED 693 million in the first half of 2024. The airline carried 8.9 million passengers, up 16 percent year-on-year, with a strong seat load factor of 81 percent.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, with a portfolio of 40 destinations, is expanding its operations with a modern fleet to meet increasing demand and support its ambitious growth plans.

In addition, according to the World Economic Forum, the United Arab Emirates has secured a leading position in global civil aviation competitiveness. Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024.

According to the rankings published in June, the UAE ranks first in the world in the “Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure” indicator and third in the world in both “Efficiency of Air Transport Services” and “Airline Available Seat-Kilometers – Millions/Week”.

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the UAE also ranks first in the indicators “number of active airlines” and “air transport agreements”.

In addition, the UAE received top global recognition in the “Air Transport Quality” category in the International Institute for Management Development’s 2023 Global Competitiveness Report.