The rapid rise of passenger traffic through Dubai is becoming a campaign issue for London’s embattled Heathrow Airport as it seeks to build a third runway,
Heathrow Airport chiefs are hoping that the UK government will award it a third runway to give it a chance at regaining its top position after Dubai attracted more international traffic in the first two months of the year.
“Dubai’s announcement that it has overtaken Heathrow in the last two months shows that the UK will soon no longer have the world’s No 1 airport for international passenger traffic,” said Colin Matthews, Heathrow’s chief executive. “We want Britain to continue to compete globally against the best hub airports in the world, but without a third runway Heathrow’s comparative decline will make the whole of the UK less attractive to do business in.”
Eight million passengers passed through Heathrow in March, down 2.8 per cent from a year prior, the airport said. Passengers per aircraft decreased 3 per cent to 146.6, it said, though the reduction in traffic and load reflected the shift of Easter holidays back to April this year.
Rapidly expanding airport hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are grabbing market share from longer-established rivals in Europe as more long-haul air traffic is routed through the Arabian Gulf. Dubai International Airport recorded an 11.7 per cent jump in passenger traffic in February to more than 5.6 million. That represented the seventh consecutive month of double-digit growth.
Congested airspace in the Gulf, however, may give Heathrow some breathing space if it wins the right to build a third runway. The UAE's aviation chief warned last week that Dubai International Airport would need to find a way to use both of its runways simultaneously if it is to avoid exceeding its capacity as traffic grows rapidly over the next few years.
mkassem@thenational.ae
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
