UAE airports booming, may reach 80 million pax throughput in 2012; Dubai to become world's biggest

The UAE has experienced a decade of relentless aviation growth. Separated by less than 120km, the three largest airports in the country at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have seen their traffic driven by their home carriers, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad and Air Arabia, each of which handles the majority of passengers passing through the airports.

This year could see the three airports reach a combined 80 million passenger throughput. With each achieving double digit growth, a combination of large order books for the local airlines and an increasing fleet of foreign carriers attracted to the market, the UAE airports are fast approaching the total airport traffic of New York City's system, stagnating at a little above 100 million passengers annually.

Despite a massive airport construction programme, capacity is being challenged and the restrictions on air traffic movements among the UAE and its neighbours are increasingly a constraint on efficient operation.