1 billion passengers and counting: UAE aviation marks major milestone

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The UAE’s aviation sector has experienced significant growth over the past decade, with total passenger traffic through the country’s airports surpassing one billion between 2015 and 2024, according to statistics from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.

Aircraft movements also exceeded 6.4 million during the same period, reported the state news agency, WAM.

The report highlighted the UAE’s global leadership in aviation, noting that the country ranked first worldwide in the air transport quality index and was placed among the top 10 globally in five other indicators.

Authorities said these results reflect the leadership’s forward-looking vision and directives aimed at enhancing the sector’s competitiveness regionally and globally, making it a cornerstone of national economic sustainability.

UAE ranks highly on the global aviation map

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), credited the sector’s achievements to the success of national strategies and initiatives implemented under the leadership’s guidance. He said the sector continues to shape the future while delivering substantial accomplishments.

“These outcomes reinforce the UAE’s standing on the global aviation and travel map, underlining the sector’s active role in driving national economic growth and competitiveness,” Al Marri said. “They also highlight the country’s pioneering model in building a more efficient and sustainable aviation system, integrating technological innovations with the highest standards of safety and service quality.”

Data from the centre showed that passenger traffic across UAE airports increased from 114.8 million in 2015 to 147.8 million in 2024.

Total passenger numbers, including arrivals, departures, and transit travellers, exceeded one billion over the decade.

Aircraft movements also rose steadily, reaching more than 800,000 by the end of 2024, bringing the total number of arriving and departing flights over the 10-year period to over 6.4 million.