Abu Dhabi UAE, 30 June, 2010: Upon the recommendation of H. E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of GCAA, the Department of Aviation Security & Infrastructure in the General Civil Aviation Authority awarded yesterday the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) the certification to its facilities in Al Bateen Executive Airport to provide civil aviation security courses, in line with the training guidelines legislated by the Civil Aviation Law of the United Arab Emirates.

By attaining this certification, GCAS - a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports Company - will be delivering specialized training programs in the field of civil aviation security through a qualified centre as per GCAA's legislations. As such, GCAS will provide new opportunities to develop local manpower to serve the continuous need for development that is in parallel with the foreseen growth of the aviation industry.

H.E. Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of General Civil Aviation Authority, said: "As a federal, autonomous body set up to oversee all aviation-related activities in the United Arab Emirates, The General Civil Aviation Authority undertake, in coordination with local authorities and concerned bodies, the execution of the Civil Aviation Law. Therefore, GCAA strives to ensure that all necessary efforts are made to elevate the standards of practice in the aviation industry, and we consider GCAS to be one of our main tools in achieving and maintaining international standards in Aviation security as well as all other aspects related to civil aviation practices."

Mohammed Al Bulooki, General Manager Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) in ADAC commented:

"GCAS is offering a curriculum of high quality courses and training options at Al Bateen Executive Airport, a fully operational private jet airport. We are fully committed to furthering the collective expertise and knowledge base in our industry and aim to provide training solutions for all key aviation organisations in the region and the world. With the centre being certified today by the GCAA it is enabled to further develop its services and training programs specialized in civil aviation security under the umbrella of the laws and regulations that govern the aviation industry in the UAE."

GCAS is the exclusive training provider for JAATO in the Gulf and Middle East region, and is the tenth certified training center to provide ACI courses, which attracted the attention of many aviation organisations from across the GCC. In May 2010 it signed an MoU with Kuwait Airways to exchange training expertise within the airline industry. GCAS has also announced a partnership agreement with the Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs department earlier this year. As the premier aviation and airport training centre in the Middle East, it continues to promote international best practice in safety and security, and all other areas of airport operations.  

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About GCAS
The Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS), a GCAA recognised centre of excellence, was created to serve the aviation security training needs of Abu Dhabi Airport Company, its subsidiaries and the region. GCAS has partnered with leading international organizations such as JAA-TO and ACI 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 business including:

  • Airline

  • Airport

  • Cargo

  • Management

  • Regulatory / Civil Aviation

  • 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 multi-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