Dubai airport chief rates airspace as biggest challenge facing aviation growth.

Dubai airport chief rates airspace as biggest challenge facing aviation growth Dubai Airport CEO calls for regional co-operation to unlock restraints; says Dubai may not always be a two-airport city www.arabianconference.com At a special session during the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, Dubai Airports' chief executive officer, Paul Griffiths, told CNN's John Defterios that to complete the growth in hotels and tourism infrastructure, there was a pressing need to increase airspace capacity across the Gulf region. "We will have the accommodation on the ground but what we must address is the very real challenge of airspace capacity," he said. "This means unlocking current 'no fly' zones around the GCC which potentially pose a fundamental barrier to growth." Griffiths acknowledged it was not an issue that countries could solve independently and called for intra-regional co-operation. He stated that if this was not addressed it could prove a significant problem for Dubai and the region as a whole. Turning to the imminent launch of Terminal 3 at Dubai International, Griffiths declined to give a confirmed opening date, saying a 'big bang' was the worse possible scenario in terms of opening a complex operation such as an airport. "Bangkok, Hong Kong, Heathrow Terminal 5 all suffered problems in this respect," he said. "Terminal 3 will open when it is ready." Griffiths also said that over-capacity in the Gulf region was a possibility, given the expansion at airports in Abu Dhabi, Doha and other destinations. He said, however, that there is a global need for more airports, more runways and more terminals. "Dubai needs more airport capacity and we must supply it if the emirate is to remain it a success," he said, while raising some doubt as to whether the existing international airport would continue to operate once the Al Maktoum International facility at Dubai World Central is fully operational. "Our challenge is building to cope with continued 20 per cent annual growth in passenger numbers," he said. "It is a big assumption that Dubai will always be a two-airport city." In the interim, Griffith promised superior service, reaffirming the commitment of Dubai Airports to service, as part of the hospitality sector rather than just an infrastructure facility. "We are an extension of the hospitality industry and we are there to provide service, second to none." www.arabianconference.com Platinum sponsors of the 2008 event include: Bawadi, IFA Hotels & Resorts, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, Ministry of Brazil, Nakheel Hotels and The Rezidor Hotel Group. Gold Sponsors include Abu Dhabi Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), Accor SA ME, Aldar Hotels & Hospitality, Almulla Holding LLC, Arabian Travel Market, Breaking Travel News, Christie + Co, Cushman & Wakefield Hotels, Davis Langdon LLP, DLA Piper, DLF Hotels, Emaar Hospitality Group, Emirates Airline, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Inc, Godwin Austen Johnson, Golden Tulip MENA Region, Group RCI, GuestInvest, Hamilton Hotel Partners, Heller Ehrman, Hilton Hotels, Horwath HTL, HVS, iBAHN, InterContinental Hotels Group, Interval International, Jumana - Secret of the Desert, Jumeirah, Kempinski Hotels, Langham Hotels International Limited, Layia Hospitality, Marriott International, Molinaro Koger, Morgan Stanley, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Mozambique Tourism Anchor Investment Program, Northcourse Real Estate Leisure Solutions, OBM International, Rakeen, Rotana, Shaza Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Strategic Solutions, Taj Hotel Resorts & Palaces, Tiara Hotels & Resorts, TDO - Tourism Development Organisation (MENA), TRI Hospitality Consulting, Turks & Caicos Islands, Vision Hospitality Asset Management, WATG, West LB and Wyndham Hotel Group International. Media sponsors include AME Info, ATM, Breaking Travel News, CNBC Arabia, CNN, Destinations of the World, HOTELS, Hospitality News Magazine, Luxury Hotelier, Sleeper and TTN. Supporters: Dubai Convention Bureau, The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, IBLF, IH&RA, Native Energy, Villeroy & Boch, WTTC.

[c] 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)