Conceptualizing of Sustainability in The Civil Aviation Sector in Dubai
Abstract
The civil aviation sector in Dubai has become a world leader because of its constant
advancements and implementation of new technologies. It has been fostering the
economic development of Dubai by enhancing transportation, establishing trade links,
promoting tourism, and providing job opportunities. Even though it is a thriving sector,
it should pay heed to its sustainability strategy. This dissertation aims to investigate
sustainability indicators within the civil aviation sector in Dubai as per the sector's key
stakeholders and to identify the perceived ranking of sustainability indicators within
each stakeholder group. The research is based on a qualitative research design and AHP
framework. The type of qualitative design considered for the current study was
phenomenology, and focus groups were conducted with 148 people as a part of the
qualitative research design. After determining the indicators and sub-indicators, the
AHP framework was shown to rank the indicators based on the priorities of the
stakeholders, who were experts and knew about the aviation sector's sustainability. The
study's findings focus on the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic, and
environmental sustainability indicators. Economic sustainability had the highest
priority ranking of the three leading sustainability indicators. Based on the analysis, it
is found that the three top priorities of social sustainability are regional competition,
passenger safety, and quality of life of stakeholders like employees and passengers.
Three leading indicators for economic sustainability are extensive data management,
economic growth, and economic development. Lastly, environmental awareness, air
quality, and waste reduction are the three top priority indicators of environmental
sustainability.