UAE. Dubai Airports, operator of the world’s busiest airport by international passenger numbers, DXB (Dubai International), today unveiled a comprehensive “business stabilisation framework” designed to offer clarity and support to its aviation and commercial partners.
The programme also plans for a gradual remobilisation once travel restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted.
Aviation partners, tenants and concessionaires have now been provided with details of the sweeping assistance programme agreed by Dubai Airports, which also operates Al Maktoum International.
The airport company said that it has responded “decisively” to the COVID-19 crisis and rightly noted that it among the first airport operators to propose meaningful assistance to airline and commercial partners.
[Listen to Eugene Barry tell Martin Moodie about the business stabilisation framework]
The programme, which is applicable for the impacted period 1 March 2020 to 31 May 2020, includes waiving 100% of minimum guarantees or equivalent fees for partners who have been required to cease trading due to the suspension of airport operations caused by the global pandemic.
For partners that have maintained partial operations, other measures are in place to address the reduction in aviation activity, including rescheduling and other financial adjustments.
“Flexibility is more important now than ever,” said Dubai Airports Executive Vice President, Commercial Eugene Barry. “Of paramount importance is that we protect and retain our aviation and business partnerships, which have been carefully built over a number of years, and ensure that our revenue and service drivers will be in a position to remobilise, in line with approvals from federal authorities.
“We have taken a number of unprecedented measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 to our own business, as well as those of our partners. By providing clarity and meaningful assistance to our business partners at this moment, we are confident that we will re-emerge to continue delivering the highest levels of assurance and service in a new commercial landscape, in which DXB and DWC will play leading parts.
“Our futures are intertwined, and dependent on our ability to maintain core relationships, but also on adapting to unprecedented conditions and new behaviours.”
Passenger operations at DXB and Dubai World Central (DWC), with the exception of repatriation flights, were effectively suspended by UAE authorities on 24 March. The suspension is in place until further notice. Cargo operations are excluded from the ban and have experienced a surge of activity at DXB as 12 airlines, including Emirates SkyCargo and flydubai, have been given permission to operate an average of 110 weekly flights weekly in response to heightened demand for pharmaceuticals, food, and other essential goods.
