The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is pleased to release an updated factsheet on the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial aviation relationship, which is at the foundation of U.S.-U.A.E. bilateral trade.
This factsheet begins by demonstrating how the U.A.E.’s commercial aviation sector helps drive U.S. economic growth.
- The U.A.E. imported $6.1 billion in U.S. commercial aerospace equipment in 2016 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. These imports support approximately 32,000 U.S. jobs. [i]
- There are 268 non-stop flights per week between the U.A.E. and 11 U.S. gateways, carrying millions of passengers as well as cargo. One single daily route between the U.S. and U.A.E. supports around $175 million in annual economic activity and associated jobs in the United States. [ii]
The factsheet then provides a more detailed overview of historical and planned purchases of U.S. aircraft by U.A.E. carriers.
- The U.A.E. has imported over $40 billion of U.S. civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts over the last ten years, according to International Trade Administration data. This includes Boeing aircraft and General Electric engines. [iii]
This figure is set to grow since U.A.E. airlines have $104.5 billion in outstanding orders (at list prices) of Boeing aircraft. According to Boeing figures, Emirates, which is the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 777, has 166 of these planes on order in addition to the 120 delivered to date. Etihad has 55 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order to add to the 16 already delivered. Moreover, FlyDubai has 74 Boeing 737s on order on top of the 62 delivered.[iv]
After reviewing ways in which the U.S. benefits from the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial aviation relationship, the factsheet demonstrates how the U.A.E.’s unique geolocation as a hub will continue to drive growth in this sector for U.S. suppliers.
- U.A.E. airports collectively handled more than 120 million passengers in 2016.
- Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the world’s busiest airport for international travelers with 83 million such travelers in 2016. It is also the 5th-largest cargo airport in the world with 2.5 million tons in 2016.[v]
- Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) is one of the fastest growing airport hubs in the world with 24 million passengers in 2016. This airport will boast a capacity of 45 million passengers per year once its Midfield Terminal is completed. [vi]
- Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is the world’s 20th-largest airport for international freight with 900,000 tons in 2016. It aims to eventually become the world’s biggest airport with a capacity of more than 160 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo per year. [vii]
Finally, this factsheet situates the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial aviation and defense relationship within the broader U.S.-U.A.E. economic relationship.
- The U.S. and U.A.E. had $25.7 billion in bilateral trade in 2016, marking a 112% growth over the last 10 years. [viii]
- The U.S. enjoyed a $19 billion trade surplus with the U.A.E. in 2016, as the U.A.E. has been the largest export destination for the U.S. in the Middle East for the past 8 years. [ix]
- The total stock of U.A.E. FDI in the U.S. as of the end of 2016 amounted to $26.3 billion. [x]
- There have been more than $20 billion in Foreign Military Sales agreements between the U.S. and U.A.E. as of FY 2015. [xi]
Sources:
[i] http://tpis2.trade.gov/TPIS_PUBLIC/tpis_ustopctys1.aspx
[ii] https://www.emirates.com/english/destinations_offers/timetables/flightschedule.aspx; http://www.etihad.com/en-us/plan-and-book/flight-timetables/
[iii] http://tpis2.trade.gov/TPIS_PUBLIC/tpis_ustopctys1.aspx
[iv] http://www.boeing.com/commercial/#/orders-deliveries
[v] http://www.aci.aero/News/Releases/Most-Recent/2017/04/19/ACI-releases-preliminary-2016-world-airport-traffic-rankingsRobust-gains-in-passenger-traffic-at-hub-airports-serving-transPacific-and-East-Asian-routes
[vi] http://www.adac.ae/english/media-centre/press-releases/2016/16-01-2017-Passenger-traffic-at-Abu-Dhabi-International-Airport-reaches-24-5-million-in-2016; http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/english/airport-information/about-abu-dhabi-airport/introduction.aspx
[vii] http://www.aci.aero/News/Releases/Most-Recent/2017/04/19/ACI-releases-preliminary-2016-world-airport-traffic-rankingsRobust-gains-in-passenger-traffic-at-hub-airports-serving-transPacific-and-East-Asian-routes; http://www.dubaiairports.ae/corporate/about-us/dwc-dubai-world-central
[viii] https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5200.html
[ix] https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5200.html
[x] https://www.selectusa.gov/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=015t0000000LKOH
[xi] http://www.dsca.mil/sites/default/files/historical_facts_book_-_30_september_2015.pdf
