EVER-INCREASING SHARE OF THE GLOBAL AVIATION MARKET. WHERE WILL THEY GO NEXT?
In recent years, the Middle East’s aviation sector has experienced phenomenal growth with air capacity within and from the region rising from 90.9 million available seats in 2005 to 193.6 million in 2014, representing a growth of 113 percent in just 10 years, with an average annual increase of 12.6 percent.
In 2015, Middle East carriers once again proved to be at the front of aviation, having posted a 10.5 percent improvement in annual figures, the highest rate among all regions, and well above the 6.5 percent global average.
As a result, according to International Air Transport Association, the share of international traffic carried by these airlines reached 14.2 percent, surpassing their North American counterparts.
The astonishing surge has been spurred by the rise of the three Gulf heavyweights, namely Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, which, thanks to their well-planned and executed expansion strategies, have gained prominence not only in the Arabian, but also in the global skies.
Despite regional challenges, unfavourable currency impact and fluctuating business and customer confidence throughout the year, Middle Eastern airlines have continued to spread their wings far and wide.
In 2015, Emirates alone carried over 51.3 million passengers; giving a sense of just how high this number is, it equals more than five times the UAE’s population. During its 30th anniversary year, the Dubai-based airline operated over 186,000 flights, meaning 3,600 take offs on average per week as it continued to expand its network to 150 destinations with the addition of six new passenger routes on three continents.
Emirates currently operates over 1,800 flights per week from its Dubai International hub to 153 locations in 81 countries and territories, and the top five destinations with the highest frequencies are India, the UK, US, Pakistan and Australia.
This year, the carrier has stretched its reach even further with the launch of what is hailed as the world’s longest nonstop flight covering over 14,000km between Dubai and Auckland in New Zealand.
Based on information disclosed by the airline, bookings on the itinerary have been very strong and the management expects the service to become a valuable contributor to the total network in light of the extensive connections available from Dubai, that significantly simplify travel from east to west and vice versa.
With a fleet of 250 wide-body aircraft, Emirates is currently one of the world’s biggest operators of this kind of jets, allowing it to retain a strong presence on long-haul markets.
Demonstrating the growing appetite for faraway destinations, the airline has upgauged a number routes in recent months, including several services to the US where it now operates to 10 points with an average of 15 flights in a single day.