Demand for flights to the Middle East predicted to soar

The clamour for flights to the Middle East is expected to grow sharply in the near future.

Carriers such as Etihad Airways and Emirates are expected to see soaring demand for flights to Abu Dhabi and other Middle Eastern areas.

According to a newly published study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), airlines in the region are expected to “grow rapidly” in order to cope with the inflated visitor numbers.

Analysts at the organisation have predicted passenger flows to and from the Middle East to reach 140 million by 2015, with Emirates becoming the world’s leading airline.

This comes after statistics revealed that traffic through airports in this region of the world grew by 45 million people in the five-year period between 2005 and 2010.

“The next five years will see even greater levels of competition in the airline industry, as Middle Eastern megacarriers add capacity well ahead of underlying demand,” commented BCG partner and managing director Rend Stephan.

Earlier this week, Etihad Airways announced it was adding several new members to its team, as it continues with its plan to assemble a highly skilled workforce for the future.

Written by Nicholas Scott