Air Traffic System Struggles To Keep Up With Growth In the Region

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Middle Eastern airlines saw an increase in airline passenger demand of 16.8 percent in July year-on-year, and a 19.4 percent jump over the first seven months of the year. The Middle East has seen rapid growth in air traffic due to increasing number of flights operating from the regional hub.

But the increase is causing significant pressure on the region's air traffic control operations. With around 80% of Middle Eastern airspace being restricted for military use, air corridors are becoming busier, and this is putting pressure on regional authorities to increase the capacity and efficiency of air traffic operations.

Despite warnings from IATA that this growth is unsustainable and is now entering a slower phase, the region is already experiencing flight and landing delays due to the amount of traffic. To cope with the growth in passenger demand, regional airlines are increasing their fleets. Emirates, for example, already operate 12 Airbus A380's, and has 72 on order, among other recent purchases. Airports are not far behind either, with new projects such as Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport, which is already operating flights, and Abu Dhabi's announced construction of a $7 billion international airport to help meet traffic demands in the Emirate. Air traffic control operators and authorities are having to match this growth by either increasing the capacity of the region's corridors, or the efficiency of how they are used.

"New technology, such as satellite CNS, enables a lot of Middle East countries to restructure their ATC units and their airspace" said Ehab Abdel Galil, Air Traffic Controller at the National Air Navigation Services Company (NANSC) in Egypt. "More collaboration between civilian and military authorities to meet the growth of traffic in this region" is needed, according to Ehab. Working together would enable an increased availability of airspace to help relieve some of the traffic congestion in the Middle East. "I think the whole region is moving forward on these issues, which will impact the redesign of regional network airways," he added.

Ehab will join the Director-Generals of UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Saudi's Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), and Oman's Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority, to map out the best way forward in achieving this more efficient re-design of regional airspace. They will hold the 2nd Annual Air Traffic Control Optimisation Summit, November 1st and 2nd in Dubai, UAE.

The outcome of the summit may well have a significant impact on the future growth of air traffic in the Middle East and end constant delays. The Air Traffic Control Optimization Summit will explore how the region's air traffic control authorities and operators are working together with airlines and military establishments to increase the capacity and efficiency of the region's air traffic corridors.

FMI: www.airtrafficcontrolsummit.com