Taking control

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The UAE may be experiencing a downturn at the hands of the economy but its airspace is full to capacity, posing some serious challenges for the GCAA's director general.

Experts have warned UAE authorities the region could face major challenges in the future if it fails to manage its crowded airspace. But as the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) prepares to open the doors to its new air traffic control centre in Abu Dhabi it is hoped that a potential crisis could be averted.

The Sheikh Zayed Centre near Abu Dhabi International Airport is the largest and most advanced air traffic management facility in the Middle East, costing more than US$80 million to build.

The project, which began in 2006, is scheduled for completion in June and is intended to provide safe and efficient handling of air traffic until 2020.

Speaking to Aviation Business, GCAA director general HE Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi said he was confident the new ATC centre in Abu Dhabi would provide sufficient facilities to manage the region's busy skies.

"UAE aerospace is considerably smaller than in places like Saudi Arabia or Iran or other Middle East countries," Al Suwaidi explained. "I agree that in order to accommodate more traffic, the only solution is to have sophisticated systems capable of handling more traffic in this small congested airspace. But we have worked very closely with ICAO in the Middle East region to introduce a new procedure in order to enhance our capabilities to handle more traffic," he said.

But ESR Technology CEO Pat Lawless said the region's already overcrowded airspace would only become more congested as new airports opened and a growing number of air movements clashed with existing dated systems.

"An extraordinary period of economic growth for the Arabian Gulf countries is coinciding with one of the most significant downturns in the global economy, presenting challenges that must be addressed," Lawless stressed.

As CEO of the engineering, safety and risk management consultancy, Lawless explained there was an urgent need for UAE authorities to engage in detailed strategic planning if the region's ambitions were to be fully realised.

"The drivers of congested airspace extend beyond the UAE's borders so collaboration on a global scale is a prerequisite for the UAE becoming the international hub it justifiably aspires to be," Lawless said.

To replace dated systems and showing strong signs of strategic planning, the GCAA is hoping the new Sheikh Zayed Centre will be enough to cater for the estimated growth in traffic.

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