Dubai(IANS) : Dubai International Airport, which serves this bustling Gulf metropolis, is aiming to become the world’s friendliest airport for people with special needs.
During the course of a meeting with a group of people with special needs, Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths said that as part of its strategy to facilitate easy movement of people with different kinds of special needs, Dubai Airports has planned an internal awareness campaign and training courses for the frontline staff, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The meeting, organised by the Internal Audit Unit of Dubai Airports, discussed the efficiency of existing special needs facilities at Dubai International, including special handling offices in departure, arrival and concourse areas, and services for travellers with special needs.
Griffiths said that new facilities such as lower check-in counters would also be installed at the airport in due course to cater to people with special needs.
The meeting was attended by Khalid Al Halyan, vice-president, Internal Audit Unit of Dubai Airports, and Wafa Bin Suleiman, head of the Department for Special Needs of the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Social Affairs.
Dubai International Airport is the hub of Dubai’s international airline, Emirates. The airport serves as a secondary hub for Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Yemen’s Yemenia, the Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways, as well as several other smaller passenger and cargo airlines.
British Gulf International Airlines, Iran’s Aseman Airlines, DAS Air Cargo, Aero Asia, Air Blue, Iran Air and African Express Airways also use the airport as a secondary hub.
In 2006, the airport handled 28.8 million passengers.
During the period January-June 2007, the airport handled 16.2 million passengers and is targeting a figure of 33 million by the end of this year.