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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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