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Aviation traffic in the Arab region recorded the highest growth in the world in 2006 at 12.2 per cent, three times higher than the average global figure.
According to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) - who with Terrapinn are organising the first Middle East Aviation Outlook Summit in Abu Dhabi on February 27 and 28 - the region once again eclipsed global capacity growth which rose to a record of 3.4 per cent.
"The Arab region foresees a rapid growth in the world for international traffic between 2006-2010," says Capa executive chairman Peter Harbison.
Capa's views on the region are borne out by IATA, which forecasts that the annual average growth of passenger traffic in the Middle East is predicted to remain strong at 6.9 per cent in comparison to the global average of 4.8 per cent.
According to the Capa's report, the Middle East was again the fastest growing region for passengers (RPKs) and cargo (FTKs) in 2006, recording full-year growth of 15.4 per cent and 16.1 per cent respectively, as per IATA's figures.
"Ten million passengers are handled by five major airports and Dubai being the pre-eminent hub holds alone one quarter, or 22 per cent of the total 128 million passengers," says Harbison.
In a report on the Middle East Aviation Outlook, Capa stressed that the aviation industry in the Arab region is not an "over-hyped bubble." Its remarkable growth is expected to continue at sustainable levels well into the future.
Airport and aviation expansion is expected to boost and maintain the current healthy levels of growth.
The UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Qatar are the region's leaders; they have implemented "open skies" policies that played a major role in the development of their tourism industries as well as their success to access numerous international markets.
