Gerald Lawless receives the license on the Burj Al Arab helipad [image: GCAA UAE] Gerald Lawless receives the license on the Burj Al Arab helipad [image: GCAA UAE]

The helipad at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai has become the first in the UAE to be awarded a license by the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority.

Perched 210 metres above the sea, the helipad is one of the key defining features of the hotel and, over the years, has played host to a number of publicity stunts for the property, major events and the emirate itself.

---IN PICTURES: BURJ AL ARAB HELIPAD, THE ULTIMATE STAGE---

Among these was a tennis game between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, in 2005, while in 2013 racing driver David Coulthard performed donuts in a Red Bull F1 car.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and chairman of the Board of Directors of GCAA, presented Jumeirah Group president and group CEO Gerald Lawless with the license for the helipad in a recent ceremony.

Story continues below
Advertisement

The move is part of a long-term plan to license all existing and future helipads in the UAE and follows on from the developed the relevant legislations and guidelines for helipads, including those on ground level and rooftops, as well as offshore helidecks.

GCCA said that the new legislations are in line with the standards practices embraced by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The recognition for Burj Al Arab comes as the hotel celebrates the tenth anniversary of its opening.

Read the December issue of Hotelier Middle East, which features interviews with Gerald Lawless and other key players in the Burj Al Arab story.