Segment versus OD traffic: The development of passenger flows between Europe and the UAE and potentials for new direct flights

Kurzfassung

Air transport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has developed strongly in recent decades. From a European perspective, Dubai or Abu Dhabi are mainly seen as transfer points for traffic to and from the "Eastern Hemisphere". However, the UAE is also becoming an increasingly important destination - and point of origin - in its own right. Nevertheless, little research has been done on the evolution of origin-destination (OD) flows to and from the UAE. Based on air passenger statistics at flight segment and OD routing levels, we first illustrate the evolution of air passenger numbers between Europe (EU27, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the UK) and the UAE. We then identify and briefly discuss the largest OD flows that are not yet directly served, or only to a very limited extent, as these may be potential candidates for (additional) future direct flights.