UAE ‘favoured’ by Euro visitors

The UAE currently enjoys the status of being one of the most favoured destinations for British travellers and holidaymakers, said a senior official at British Airways (BA).

Robbie Baird, BA’s area general manger for the Middle East, said the airline operated 55 flights between London Heathrow and destinations in the UAE every week. He said air traffic between the UK and the Middle East had seen significant growth recently and added the UAE, especially Abu Dhabi and Dubai, was a source of attraction for British and European tourists throughout the year. This growth prompted BA to increase its flights to the country, he added.

Baird said with the new Terminal Five at Heathrow Airport becoming operational on March 27, the number of BA passengers on the London-UAE route was expected to rise further. The cost of Terminal Five is Dh32.2bn. It will serve 30 million BA passengers annually.

The number of European tourists to Dubai rose by 32 per cent between 1999 and 2004, according to the most recent figures. (Wam)