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Abu
Dhabi is well on its way to becoming a regional
industrial center, investing over $3 billion
to develop its petrochemical base and increase
its upstream gas handling capacity alone.
Abu Dhabi is also pushing to establish itself
as a leading transit center and tourist destination,
upgrading and expanding all elements of its
infrastructure and transport facilities.
Abu
Dhabi International Airport is playing a key
role as the major entry point to the emirate;
passenger arrivals are increasing year by year.
Khaled
al Mohairbi, Abu Dhabi International Airport's
director, says overall traffic through the airport
in 1998 reached 3.4 million, an increase of
8 percent over 1997. This included a 7 percent
increase in departures, a 10 percent increase
in arrivals and an 8 percent increase in transit
passengers.
Of
the total, 33 percent were from the Middle East,
19 percent were from Gulf Cooperation Council
countries and 25 percent were from Asia, including
13 percent from India. Another 11 percent of
passengers were from Europe, with a variety
of other nationalities making up the final 12
percent.
Mr.
Mohairbi says more than 40 airlines now operate
from the airport, linking it to more than 90
international airports. Over the past year a
number of new airlines were attracted by the
airport's strategic location and first-class
facilities. ''During 1998, we signed agreements
with two charter airlines, Britannia and LTU,
under which they will utilize Abu Dhabi for
their technical stopovers and as a transit point
during flights between Europe and the Far East,
'' he says.
A
number of new airlines also began operations
out of Abu Dhabi during 1998. These included
Shaheen Air, Air Maldives, Air Afrique and Czech
Airlines. Their entry has added northern Pakistan,
the Maldives, West Africa and Mauritania to
the countries and regions connected to Abu Dhabi
and increased the choice and flexibility of
routes available to passengers.
Mr.
Mohairbi is confident that the major expansion
under way in all aspects of the airport will
confirm Abu Dhabi's role as both a major transit
point and a major destination for the Gulf and
the wider Middle East region well into the 21st
century. ''Once our airport expansion program
is complete,'' he says, ''Abu Dhabi International
Airport will be offering services in keeping
with the promise of the new millennium.''
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