Abu Dhabi - Mubasher: The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced that the civil aviation sector will record record performance in 2024, with passenger traffic increasing by 10% to reach 147.8 million passengers, compared to 134 million passengers in 2023.

The authority explained that air cargo achieved a remarkable growth of 17.8%, reaching 4.36 million tons compared to 3.7 million tons last year, which enhances the country's position as a global destination in the field of air transport, as these results reflect the sustainable growth and operational efficiency of the sector, in addition to its vital role in connecting the world through the country's airports, according to the Emirates News Agency "WAM", today, Thursday.

The Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Civil Aviation Authority, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, said that these figures are not merely indicators of growth, but rather evidence of the strength of the aviation sector in the UAE and its pivotal role in supporting the national economy and enhancing the country’s position as a global hub for air transport, shipping, trade, tourism and investment.

He added that the country has been chosen to host the most prominent events that shape the future of aviation globally, as the capital, Abu Dhabi, will witness in a few days the largest international gathering of the civil aviation community, as we host the fourth edition of the ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium 2025, in conjunction with the launch of the Global Sustainable Aviation Market, an Emirati initiative that seeks to accelerate international efforts to increase the production of sustainable and low-carbon fuel for aviation.

He pointed out that these events will constitute milestones in the development of a safe and sustainable system for the aviation sector, starting from the UAE.

In detail, the number of arrivals to the country reached 41.6 million passengers, the number of departures reached 41.7 million passengers, and the number of transit passengers reached 64.4 million passengers.

The sector also witnessed a significant increase in the number of workers, as the number of pilots registered in the country reached 9,622, while the number of aircraft crew members reached 35,899, in addition to 4,493 engineers, 461 air traffic controllers, and 419 dispatch officers.

In terms of infrastructure, the number of registered aviation operators in the country rose to 36, while the total number of registered aircraft reached 929, including light sports aircraft, of which 520 are for national carriers.

Air traffic also recorded 1.03 million flights during 2024, an unprecedented number in the history of air traffic in the country.