Huge projected growth in Middle East aviation traffic could result in capacity and operational problems at regional airports unless…
Huge projected growth in Middle East aviation traffic could result in capacity and operational problems at regional airports unless proper air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure is in place, according to leading European airport resource management specialists.
Speaking in advance of their Middle East exhibition debut at November`s Dubai air show, Ned Macesic, President EMEA of Lochard and Dietmar Dippe, Managing Director of delair Air Traffic Systems GmbH, international providers of air traffic solutions, warned: According to IATA, Middle East actual passenger traffic increased by 24.8 percent last year and Boeing recently forecast the region would record annual passenger traffic of around 5.5% in the coming years yielding demand for 790 new aircraft over the next two decades, he said.
The extension of Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport, the launch of the Jebel Ali International Airport and the New Doha International Airport, are just some of the mega projects which will intensify air traffic congestion.
Traffic in the skies will skyrocket and the introduction of more sophisticated, efficiency-driven ATC systems will become paramount, said Dippe.
Without adopting a holistic view and optimising the entire airport operation, the airports risk investing into the infrastructure that may not provide the planned capacity and the level of excellence expected by the passengers, the airlines and the airport operators. Airport throughput optimisation systems based on Advanced Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) meet the challenge by integrating the activities of ATC, airport operators, airlines and handling agents, said Macesic.
Lochard and delair presence at Dubai 2005, the ninth international aerospace exhibition, is aimed at gaining a new brand awareness for the companies that jointly pioneered A-CDM.
ATC equipment and solutions are high on the shopping list of Middle East airport planners and operators with both Qatar and Dubai already committed to sending major sourcing delegations to the show.
Abdul Aziz Al-Noaimi, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar and Chairman of the NDIA Steering Committee said his delegation would be looking for ATC solutions among others.
We will be looking for all the latest technology across a range of airport requirements, including ATC, he said. The New Doha International Airport will be state-of-the-art and we will be looking for exhibitors to demonstrate what equipment and services can meet our requirements not just for the immediate future but also for the decade to come.
Meanwhile, Mansoor Taher, Dubai International`s Air Traffic Services General Manager, has predicted growing demand for navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) equipment.
ATC solutions will be in strong focus as industry surveys have currently put investment in airport projects across the Gulf as over the US $20 billion mark, said Clive Richardson, Chief Executive, Aerospace Division, Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), which organises the Dubai air show.
Currently exhibitors from 39 countries have confirmed participation in Dubai 2005, which also has commitments for 13 national and industry pavilions.
Dubai 2005 is organised by F&E in conjunction with the Department of Civil Aviation, Government of Dubai and in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces and will be held at Airport Expo Dubai from November 20 -24.
F&E in conjunction with Royal Jet, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered international luxury VIP aircraft charter company, is also organising the inaugural Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) conference – the first of its kind to run in conjunction with a Dubai air show, to be held at the Le Meridien Dubai on November 19th.
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