Transport

Sharjah is seeking to position itself as a niche aviation connection centre, with the local budget airline expanding the number of routes it serves and specialist carriers focusing on potential in the upper end of the market. High costs and stiff competition, however, could pose a challenge to the emirate’s ambitions.

The Philippines’ aviation sector is looking to regain the necessary accreditation that will grant its carriers access to lucrative routes, as well as encourage overseas airlines to add domestic destinations to their flight lists. While these aims are highly anticipated, much still needs to be done before these goals come to fruition.

In a move widely regarded as a major policy u-turn, the Thai government is paving the way for the relocation of low-cost carriers (LCCs) from Bangkok’s primary airport, Suvarnabhumi, to alternative facilities at the older Don Mueang International Airport as it looks to tackle the growing problem of passenger congestion.

New rail links with Russia and China and a planned overhaul of the road network underline progress in Mongolia’s plans to use the recent surge in resource growth to improve infrastructure and transport. However, there are concerns that political wrangling could delay the implementation of ambitious projects.

A much-needed, multi-billion rand investment programme – spearheaded by Transnet’s capital upgrades and targeting South Africa’s transport bottlenecks – looks set to transform the country’s rail and port services, although historical issues over project delivery and pressure on the government fiscus have made its implementation a more complicated prospect.

Plans are moving ahead for Kuwait’s country-wide metro system, which is hoped to address the growing issue of congestion and create a better environment for growth in commercial, business, industrial and residential markets.