MUSTAFA ABDEL AZIM (DUBAI)
The scheduled seat capacity of four national carriers increased in June 2024 to more than 6.15 million seats on departing international flights, compared to 5.64 million seats during the same period last year, marking a 9% increase, according to data from the OAG Foundation. The data from the international institution, which provides airport and airline data, revealed that the four national carriers – Emirates Airlines, flydubai, Etihad Airways, and Air Arabia – accounted for approximately 19.15% of the total scheduled seat capacity in the Middle East region. The region’s air carriers collectively recorded about 21.1 million scheduled seats during June 2024.
According to the data, Emirates Airlines operated more than 3.16 million seats in June, compared to 3.07 million seats in June 2023, reflecting a growth of 2.9%. flydubai operated about 1.19 million seats, an 11% increase, while Etihad Airways operated more than one million seats, a growth of 29.4%. Air Arabia operated 793.6 thousand seats, an increase of 11.2% compared to the same period last year.
The UAE’s civil aviation sector achieved significant growth during the first quarter of this year, in terms of the number of passengers, air traffic, and air cargo volume.