Aviation

Dubai World Central handled 89,729 tonnes of airfreight during its first full calendar year of operations. Opened in June 2010 to cargo oeprations, Al Maktoum International Airport forms an integrated hub with the JAFZ and port. In this report Phil Blizzard talks with Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports about the growth of airfreight at DWC and the positioning of Dubai Airports. Anita Mehra, VP, Marketing & Corporate Communications talks about the migration of passengers to DWC, which is likely to be towards the end of the decade.

Dubai International Airport (DIA) registered 51 million passengers in 2011, in what was its 51st year of operation. Phil Blizzard talks to Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports about the figures, changing trends, including the No1 destination out of Dubai changing from London Heathrow to Doha. The outlook for 2012 is viewed, which will see significant developments at DIA, including the opening of the world's largest A380 dedicated terminal. They also talk about the trends in air freight traffic and the importance of the aviation sector to the GDP of Dubai.

Over $44 billion is being spent across the region on airport development across the GCC, with the target of handling over 260 million passengers per year. In this special report Phil Blizzard takes a look at major airport projects in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, where Dubai Airports recently announced breaking the 50 million passengers 'year on year' target.

Douglas Whitman, Engineering Director, Abu Dhabi Aviation provides an overview of their business which includes the operations of Royal Jet, the VVIP executive aircraft fleet, and Maximus Air Cargo, as well as the MRO services. He also talks to Phil Blizzard about the way Abu Dhabi is evolving as an aerospace hub.

The 2011 Dubai Airshow closed with $63.3bn worth of orders for aircraft and associated aviation services and products, well up on the 2009 show which closed with orders at $14bn. Phil Blizzard joins Alison Weller, MD, F&E Aerospace, organisers of the show, for a closing review of this year's event.

Dnata is now the fourth largest air services provider and announced at the Dubai Airshow a $70m investment to span their global operations. Phil Blizzard talks to Gary Chapman, President, Dnata about the impact of this investment into their worldwide operations which now involve over 20000 staff in 38 countries.

Flexible flight paths are the route to greater operating efficiency of aircraft on long distance flights says Captain Alan Stealey, Divisional Senior Vice President Flight Operations, Emirates. Talking to Phil Blizzard he explains the results of their Inspire tests on the Indian Ocean routes between Dubai and Australia. He also talks about the benefits of having a flexible approach to the routes used by the flight crew.

The 2011 Dubai Airshow started with Emirates signing a recording breaking $18bn order for 50 Boeing 777 - 300ER aircraft and a stunning display by the UAE aerobatic team. Phil Blizzard reports from the show which has also attracted the latest aviation star - the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, making its Middle East debut.

In September AMEinfo Broadcast videos include reports and interviews on the Dubai Metro Green Line, extensive coverage of Cityscape Global to give you an insight into the real estate market, we also look at FlyDubai two years on and in technology the latest tablet device from Asus is reviewed.

Reduction in carbon emissions and the reduction of fuel usage are key factors in the drive for greater efficiency in flight operations and their environmental impact. Captain Alan Stealey, Divisional Senior Vice President Flight Operations, Emirates talks to Phil Blizzard on how these reductions are being implemented, the impact of the more 'environmentally friendly' Airbus A380 and how the 'perfect flight' is achieved.

The first comprehensive environment report by the Emirates Group has just been published showing that the airline's carbon dioxide emissions efficiency was 26% better than the global airline average. Phil Blizzard talks Andrew Parker, Snr VP, Public, Industry, International and Environmental Affairs, Emirates Group about the key findings of the independently audited report which looked at all aspects of the Emirates Group and says that "good environmental practice makes good business practice".

A new breed of security scanners use 3D technology to 'see' into blind spots which may exist with present day devices which scan in just two dimensions. William Awad, CEO, Voti explains to Phil Blizzard how the latest scanners enhance security operations by assisting operators in risk assessment, on various levels, and how the machines can be programmed to detect any possible threat.

With the completion in 2013 of the Emirates A380 dedicated terminal, Concourse 3, the Dubai International Airport will be in a position to handle up to 90 million passengers per year. Anita Mehra, VP Marketing & Corporate Communications, Dubai Airports talks to Phil Blizzard about their passenger growth, which at 7% per year is 2% up on the industry average, and also the challenging issue of sustainability in the aviation sector, and suggests that passenger traffic could migrate to Dubai World Central towards the end of the decade.

Ambitious development plans for Bahrain International Airport will see it increase handling capabilities from the present 4 million passengers to 13.5 million by the end of 2013. Mohamed Thamir, VP, Airport Operations, Bahrain Airport Company talks to Phil Blizzard at the Airport Show, Dubai about their plans to bring back business, the importance of national carriers Gulf Air and Bahrain Air, and gives his thoughts on doing business since the unrest early in the year.

The latest airport technology is being implemmented in Jeddah's new King Abdulaziz International Airport which is a government initiative, but with substantial opportunities for private stakeholders. Mohamed A Abed, DG, King Abdulaziz International Airport talks to Phil Blizzard at the Airport Show, Dubai about this mega-project.