Gulf airlines, growing
at an “amazing” pace, have been driving the Middle East’s traffic
growth to double digits, according to the International Air Transport
Association, or Iata.
The Middle East and North Africa region
is a growing force in aviation; over the last decade, the Middle East’s
share of global international traffic has risen from about five per
cent to about 11.5 per cent, Iata director-general and chief executive
officer Tony Tyler said.
“The rise of the Gulf carriers is an
amazing story. They are leading Middle East traffic growth that is still
in the double digits. And even if we look at the less-headline-grabbing
carriers in North Africa, we are seeing a healthy demand performance,”
said Tyler, while addressing the Arab Air Carriers Organisation, or
Aaco, Annual General Meeting in Algiers.
The Iata chief blasted
the European Union for pursuing the “unilateral and extra-territorial
inclusion” of international aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme.
“It
is a roadblock instead of a stepping stone. States outside of Europe
see this as a challenge to their sovereignty. This is dividing the world
and recklessly risking a trade war,” Tyler said.
Outlining areas
in which opportunities exist to further develop aviation in the Mena to
benefit the region’s economies, Tyler said aviation should be a
catalyst for growth.
“The Gulf area has prospered from big
thinking on aviation. In the UAE, for example, a study by Oxford
Economics recently concluded that aviation supports some 15 per cent of
the gross domestic product, or GDP, and 14 per cent of total employment.
Building on world-class infrastructure and business-friendly policies,
the Gulf carriers are now extending their reach through alliances,
equity stakes and innovative partnerships,” he said.
Tyler called
for similar big thinking across North Africa to help spur economic
development and GDP growth. “For example, why not move forward with
developing a major North African hub?”
He observed that safety is
a top priority and global standards such as the Iata Operational Safety
Audit, or Iosa, are critical to achieving industry-levels of safety
across Mena. “In the first ten months of 2012 there has not been a
single Western-built jet hull loss in the Mena region. This is a great
achievement,” said Tyler.
“However, if we look at all accidents
the picture is different. The accident rate for non-Iosa carriers is
trending at about three-and-a-half times worse than those on the
registry. This is clear evidence that Iosa improves safety,” said Tyler.
He
maintained that rowing traffic in the region must be matched with
sufficient airspace capacity. “Mena must avoid the inefficiencies that
we see in Europe. There is no room for complacency. In the Gulf, ATM
delays are already nearing crisis levels,” he pointed out.
Evolving
East-West traffic patterns are creating new challenges across the
region, including North Africa, he said. Successfully handling this will
require cooperation among states, he added.
Tyler pointed out
that sustainability is a key priority for the global aviation industry.
Aviation contributes about two per cent to global carbon emissions. He
reiterated the industry’s commitments to manage and reduce its carbon
emissions.
“No other industry has made tougher commitments to
emissions reductions than aviation. We are making good progress toward
our targets to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 per cent annually to 2020,
cap net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth, and cut net
emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005,” he said.
Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com
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