Abu Dhabi, UAE, 28 February, 2010: The Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), has signed a partnership agreement with the Airports Council International confirming GCAS will start offering ACI's comprehensive training programmes from its new Middle East training hub at Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi.

ACI, the airport industry's leading international association, has a number of developed courses related to operational and management training and executive education.

Courses such as the Airport Management Professional Accreditation Programme (AMPAP) and the Airport Executive Leadership Programme (AELP) are the world's only course-based accreditation programmes for airport executives and, through this agreement, will soon be available to GCAS students. These courses will also complement the Abu Dhabi-based training centre's Emiratisation and Personnel Development programmes.

GCAS, an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recognised centre of excellence, was established at the end of 2008 to support and contribute to the rapid advancement of the regional aviation industry, through the development of the region's human capital.

Director General of ACI, Angela Gittens said: "ACI looks forward to extending its partnership in the Gulf region with the establishment of a new training hub in Abu Dhabi. GCAS has taken a leadership position by ensuring that the development of executive and staff expertise will advance hand in hand with the rapid expansion of the aviation industry in this dynamic region. They are set to grow their business and this step shows that they are not only investing in infrastructure, but also in human capital.  ACI firmly believes that performance excellence will be a key to a sustainable future for aviation.

"The establishment of this partnership is fully aligned with ACI's mandate to promote airport excellence by providing high quality, comprehensive training solutions to our members. As the needs of the industry grow, ACI will continue to enhance competency based training programmes that address those needs through committed partnerships with our ACI members in regional training centres around the world," added Gittens.

Following this latest announcement, Mohammed Al Bulooki, General Manager of GCAS said: "This partnership with ACI represents a key milestone as GCAS strives to provide its large customer base with the best airport executive training available. With several billions of dollars invested in airport infrastructure projects across the GCC, and the wider Middle East region, GCAS projects strong demand for highly-skilled and well-trained aviation executives.

"GCAS's commitment lies in designing, developing and delivering the best training solutions to meet the existing and future needs of airports in the region and will continue to seek beneficial partnerships with leading international aviation bodies to realise this vision," added Al Bulooki.

GCAS has a purpose-built, state-of-the-art, facility at Al Bateen Executive Airport in
Abu Dhabi city which provides rare benefits to students as, in addition to the theory, they get the opportunity to gain real, hands on, experience of a live airport operation.

-Ends-

About Airports Council International (ACI)
ACI is the association of airports worldwide. Since its inception in 1991, ACI has served as the "voice of airports" at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and with international aviation authorities and associations. It is a non-profit organization, whose prime purpose is to foster co-operation among its member airports and to promote better understanding of airport views in the complex field of airport developments and operations.

ACI's mission is equally to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations, and this mandate is carried out through the organization's multiple training opportunities, as well as the customer service benchmarking programme, a wide range of conferences, industry statistical products and best practice publications. By building better cooperation and understanding, ACI makes a significant contribution to providing the travelling public with an air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally compatible.

About GCAS
The Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS), an ICAO endorsed centre of excellence, was created to serve the training needs of Abu Dhabi Airport Company, its subsidiaries and the region. GCAS, therefore, has developed working relationships with leading international aviation training organisations to ensure that industry best practices and leading-edge courses are brought to the Middle East. Through its own proprietary courses and those of its partners, GCAS provides the region with cost effective training solutions to address the challenges of the 21st century aviation industry.

Currently located at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, GCAS offers its students the unique chance to observe a leading international airport in operational circumstances. No other training organization can provide the relationships that GCAS has created to ensure that the latest technologies and trends can be observed in practice. Contact training@gcas.ae to learn more.

The Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies will offer ongoing training programmes covering all sectors of the aviation industry including:

  • Airline

  • Airport

  • Cargo

  • Management

  • Safety and Security

Go to GCAS's website at www.gcas.ae to see our latest course offerings.

About Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC)
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is a public joint-stock company wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. It was incorporated by Amiri Decree number 5, issued on 4 March 2006, to spearhead the development of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure.

In September 2006, ADAC assumed responsibility for the operation and management of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International Airports. In 2008, ADAC added Al Bateen Executive Airport (an exclusive private aviation airport), and Sir Bani Yas and Delma Island Airports to its portfolio. These airports are geared to serve the various segments of air travellers, the aviation marketplace, and will help contribute to Abu Dhabi's development as a destination for both business and leisure tourism.

Currently under way is the large scale AED 25 (USD6.8) billion re-development and expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport designed to increase the overall capacity of the airport to more than 20 million passengers per year. As part of this redevelopment, a second runway and a third terminal have been completed. A new Air Traffic Control Tower is due to be operational in 2010 with the Midfield Terminal Complex development expected to open in 2015.

For more information, please contact:
ADAC Press Office
Abu Dhabi International Airport
P.O. Box: 94449, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E
Telephone: +971 2   635 4452
Fax: +971 2 635 4453
Mobile: +971 55 980 6698
E-mail: adac@fourcommunications.com
Website: www.adac.ae, www.adacmediacenter.com  
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +4

© Press Release 2010