Monthly Newsletter issued by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority
www.viadubaionline.com
Issue 71 April 2019
Flying Forward Sleep like a baby
New laser weapon to end drone menace at airports
Stratospheric drone reaches new heights
Lufthansa sees growth on UAE routes
Digitization strategy eases passengers’ experience Inside DCAA DCAA participation in Gov Games
Opinions 7
DCAA observes International 8 Day of Happiness DCAA participates in Careers UAE 2019
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Middle East News 18
Aviation Security is of critical importance Alexandre de Juniac
Stamp out slot misuse
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ATM 24
Ng Chee Meng
Airlines 26
24 23
New radar system at Glasgow Airport
Technology 28
Message
from the President
Role of airports in economy
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ir travel is set to boom further across the world. Airports are growing in size and prominence as the cities compete to be preferred hubs for the tech-savvy travellers. The air transport sector is now worth a U$2.7 trillion in global economic activity, carrying more than four billion passengers and 62 million tonnes of freight each year. More and more people across the world than ever before are taking advantage of safe, fast and efficient travel. The growth in air transport is expected to have US$5.7 trillion in economic activity in 2036. Airports act as catalysts for improved global connectivity and trade as the demand for air services rises, according to the Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association for over 1,950 airports in 176 countries. The ever-increasing movements of people and the global trade is resulting in the growth and investments in airports across the world, according to ACI World’s Airport Economics Report. Three years ago, airports located in emerging and developing economies occupied 45 per cent of global passenger traffic across the world’s airports. By 2040, this share is expected to increase to 62 per cent.
Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Today airports have become an integral part of the travel value chain. As airports realize that they play an impactful role in the overall passenger experience, many of them have become more entrepreneurial and have changed the way they operate. Airports need to be on the cutting-edge of the business start responding to passengers’ expectations if they want to succeed in the fast-changing, highly-competitive environment. A good way of learning from each other’s experiences and exploring the new technology and innovations is visiting trade exhibitions like Airport Show that Dubai has been hosting for the past 18 years as part of its commitment to offer the industry a bouquet of latest technology products.
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In 2007, the functions of the Department of Civil Aviation were restructured. Accordingly, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) was established as a regulatory body, by a decree of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, on proclamation of law No. 21 of 2007, as amended by law No. 19 of 2010, to undertake development of Air Transport Industry in the Emirate of Dubai and to oversee all aviation-related activities.
CONTENTS
Inside DCAA
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DCAA participation in Gov Games
observes International 08 DCAA Day of Happiness
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Mother’s Day
participates 10 DCAA in Careers UAE 2019
Via Dubai is the official bilingual monthly newsletter of DCAA, designed to highlight the initiatives and developments in the aviation industry and act as a knowledge-sharing platform for all the stakeholders and aviation professionals.
General Supervision Mohammed Abdulla Ahli Coordinator Hanan Al Mazimi Creative Manager Mohammed Al Jarouf Marketing Manager Fahed Mohammed E-mail: viadubai1@naddalshiba.com Legal Disclaimer
Lufthansa sees growth on UAE routes
The views expressed in the articles are of the writers and not necessarily belong to DCAA. We take all reasonable steps to keep the information current and accurate, but errors can occur. The information is therefore provided as is, with no guarantee of accuracy, completeness or timeliness. The DCAA or Via Dubai does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality, accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. Via Dubai does not endorse or recommend any article, product, service or information mentioned in the newsletter. Any perceived slight of any person or organisation is completely unintentional.
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New laser weapon to end drone menace at airports
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Stratospheric drone reaches new heights
Our Vision
The World Airport, Dubai
Our Mission
To achieve leadership and ensure sustainability in the field of safety, security and environmental protection in the civil aviation sector and to support an attractive investment environment for the aviation industry . Toll Free:80083222 Contact number:+97147770000 Fax:+97142244573 Email: info@dcaa.gov.ae; dcaa@dcaa.gov.ae http://www.facebook.com/dcaadubai
DCAA website:www.dcaa.gov.ae Working Hours:Sunday – Thursday, 0730 - 1430 (GMT+4) Location:Dubai International Airport, Terminal (1), Level (1), Gate no. (4), (Arrivals Side) P.O. Box:49888 Dubai - United Arab Emirates twitter.com/dcaadubai
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youtube.com/user/dcaadubai
Message
from the Director General
Learning to be better
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he role and responsibilities of civil aviation authorities have been enlarged and become more crucial in the past decade due to the massive expansions of both the airlines and airports across the world. Dubai’s aviation industry is not like many others. It is expected to contribute US$88.1 billion or an estimated 45 per cent to Dubai’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030. This marks a three-fold growth compared to figures in 2013, when the sector contributed US$26.7 billion to the emirate’s GDP. Since the 1930s, aviation has been a focused economic activity for Dubai. In December last year, the 58-year-old Dubai International hosted its one billionth passenger. DXB has been the 18th most internationally-connected airport in the world. Over 100 airlines operate over 7,700 weekly flights to over 270 destinations across all inhabited continents from here. Taking into account the massiveness of the aviation industry in Dubai and what we have in store in the coming years, it is necessary to be on the cutting-edge of the business to keep the good track record of monitoring and regulating the aviation activities. Networking with the industry players to keep them updated about the rules and regulations is also crucial as Dubai consolidates its position as a global centre for trade, tourism and commerce .
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Mohammed Abdulla Ahli
As part of our initiatives for meaningful interactions and knowledge-enhancement, we conduct conferences and exhibitions specific to our industry along with participating in and facilitating aviation trade shows. One such B2B platform has been Airport Show in Dubai. We have been utilizing it every year to reach out to more and more players and learn a few new things from the conferences that are hosted alongside the show. One has to be up to date in knowledge and networking if one has to succeed in any business.
Inside DCAA
DCAA participation in Gov Games
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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) participated in the second edition of the Gov Games under the slogan, One Team, One Goal.
Year of Tolerance Building a tolerant society
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he UAE is a global model of success as a peaceful, tolerant and prosperous country. As the UAE celebrates the Year of Tolerance, the occasion presents us an opportunity to reflect on how we cultivate a tolerant society and develop it further in a positive environment.
Hardly half a century old in its modern existence, the UAE has emerged as a global model for a prosperous and peaceful country. His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance – world’s first and only - says: “Our young country has an impressive history of tolerance. Tolerance is part of the soft power of our country. Tolerance is a stepping stone to acceptance.” The UAE, he says, is one of the most diverse countries in the world, but, at the same time, one of the most peaceful, harmonious and prosperous places on earth. The Arab-Islamic heritage and UAE Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s vision have enabled the country to welcome a diverse population, engage them in dialogue, understand the differences and accept the shared values. The country is not resting on its laurels and have learned that tolerance requires nurturing and hard work. It is focused on promoting tolerance in all forms of communication. The UAE is undertaking continued societal and legislative initiatives that fight hate, promote mutual respect and celebrate shared human values. Dialogue does not require us to abandon our identities and our commitments. Dialogue does, however, require us to acknowledge, understand and explain our commitments as we gather knowledge about others, he says. Tolerance will help solve conflicts and political disagreements; it will help improve education and encourage innovation and it make us champions for human rights and human obligations.
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Inside DCAA
DCAA observes International Day of Happiness
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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) observed the International Day of Happiness. A series of activities for the employees were conducted. The Authority distributed among the employees Fazaa, a UAE rewards program that gives members access to exclusive offers and services.
Mother’s Day
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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) celebrated the Mother’s Day with a variety of programmes. Special gifts were given to them in recognition of their significant roles and contribution to the society as working mothers and for the upbringing of their children.
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Inside DCAA
DCAA participates in Careers UAE 2019 T
he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has participated in Careers UAE 2019 as part of its quest to strengthen its Emiratisation strategy through attracting Emirati talents in the field of civil aviation for leadership, managerial and technical vacancies. His Excellency Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of DCAA, said: “DCAA’s participation in Careers UAE 2019 has been a great opportunity for us to attract Emiratis to contribute towards further building Dubai’s aviation sector, which now forms a significant part of the Emirate’s economic growth.” The Authority gives great attention to this participation as the event represents the pinnacle of UAE’s career-dedicated exhibitions since the launch of its first edition way back in 2000. The Authority is acting upon a strategy to encourage and spur Emiratisation policies through employing national cadres to contribute to the sector, and it has been continuously seeking to provide all possible support to develop these cadres and give them the opportunity to prove their professional calibre in order to serve the UAE. Our ultimate aim is to prepare new generations of UAE nationals in the various professional disciplines, he said. Acting in accordance with the visions and directions of the UAE leaders to empower Emirati citizens and offer them due opportunities to contribute to supporting the nation’s economy, we are also keen on the Emiratisation in the Authority with a view to activate the role of citizens in the labour market, he added. Abdulrahim Al Mulla, Executive Director of Corporate Support and Communication Sector, stressed that “DCAA has been participating in Careers UAE since 2009 to offer talented Emirati
citizens employment opportunities in the civil aviation sector, which is one of the key components of the UAE’s economy with a 27 per cent contribution to GDP in 2018.” He added: “During the event, the Authority provide opportunities to job seekers from amongst Emirati citizens, while its experts provide guidance and advice to visitors on the jobs on offer, in addition to future growth opportunities the civil aviation sector will provide to the ambitious and talented.” This event will contribute to the realisation of the
UAE’s vision to empower and attract the youth through providing them with employment opportunities. Hamad Al Janahi, Director of Human Resources Department, said: “Through its participation in this event, DCAA aims to attract national cadres seeking job opportunities, with the aim to implement the Emiratisation plans of the Authority. Careers UAE is an active platform to receive national cadres and Emirati talents with a view to fill the excellent job opportunities offered by the Authority.”
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Cover Story
Dubai is hosting the 19th edition of the Airport Show with the participation of 375 exhibitors from 60 countries
Flying Forward
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irports, which were once utilitarian structures that only processed people and luggage, are now multi-use destinations. Airports are cities or aerotropolises with major economic drivers that include hotels, conference facilities, retail opportunities, and attractions such as golf courses and ice rinks. As air travel became more common and affordable, airports now rank amongst the most visible public infrastructure projects, serving as the “front door” to the cities they serve, according to Stanis Smith, a former Associate Board Member of Airports Council International –North America (ACI-NA) and ACI-World. In his book, Airports: The True Cities of the 21st Century, J G Ballard wrote the airport will be the true city of the 21st century. The great airports are already the suburbs of an invisible world capital, a virtual metropolis. The terminal concourses are the ramblas (a Hispanic term meaning Esplanade) and agoras (a gathering place or assembly in the ancient Greek) of the future city. Speaking about realities shaping the future of airports, Leslie Horwitz of Strategic Communications at Virgin Hyperloop One, says Airports today are in the midst of a functional, architectural, and cultural evolution, in response to the changing needs of populations and cities around the world. In order to thrive in the 21st century, airports must adapt to the realities like innovating the non-aeronautical side of the ledger and tackling security bottlenecks through biometric solutions and
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handling capacity restraints through expansion. Airports are running out of room to grow. The number of global passenger trips is expected to double from four to eight billion between now and 2036. Around the world, many of the busiest hubs are unable to meet this growth. All of London’s major airports will be full by 2030. India’s airports will exceed capacity by 2022. The US needs US$75 billion in new runways, terminals, and other facilities to meet the projected demand through the early 2020s. Asia’s main hubs
are already at capacity, despite being among the largest in the world. For travellers, the airport is the first interface to the city and its calling card. The future of airports is constantly evolving: better wayfinding and aesthetics for passengers, faster and more secure flows for security, more profitable and efficient operations and greater revenues for airport authorities. Technologies like wearables, geolocation and biometric immigration and security control are making the airport experience better for the travellers.
Cover Story
According to CAPA, US$255 billion is being invested in Greenfield airport projects around the world Trade show and exhibitions are the best opportunity to see the latest technology and innovations, meet the experts and specialists and broaden the knowledge. For companies, they are ideal to widen the customer base and reach out new markets. These events provide opportunities to communicate the value of their products and services to the potential buyers. The participation also provide tremendous opportunities for exhibitors in generating new sales leads and business networking. A Business-to-Business (B2B) event dedicated exclusively to the airports makes great sense considering the fact that the aviation industry is soaring to new heights of growth and expansion. An investment of US$90 billion is projected to go into the aviation industry in the Middle East by 2020 more than three-fourths of which is in the Arabian Gulf states alone. According to CAPA, US$255 billion is being invested in new (Greenfield) airport projects around the world. Together with the US$845 billion investment in existing airport projects such as new runways, terminal buildings and extensions, about US$1.1 trillion in airport infrastructure projects are planned or underway. Currently, there are 415 new airport projects in the world, of which 64 are located in the Middle East alone. There are currently over 2,300 airport construction projects worldwide, varying from US$1 million to US$20 billion in investments. UAE airports
are investing up to US$50 billion in new and expanded projects over the next 15 years, which will provide capacity for an additional 200 million passengers per annum. From its humble beginnings in 2001 with just 90 exhibitors from 17 countries over 1,300 visitors from 35 countries, the Airport Show this year will see the strong presence of over 375 exhibitors from 60 countries when it takes off on April 29 for three days. A record 7,500 attendees are expected at the much-anticipated industry show which sees more than 75 per cent of its exhibitors being repeat participants. The show will take place over an exhibition space of over 15,000 square meters. The total number of international exhibitors at the world’s largest annual airport exhibition will be 143, of which 42 are new international exhibitors, including Ulma Handling Systems, ADB Safegate, Honeywell, L3 Security, Smiths Detection, DFS Aviation and Vanderlande. There will be four co-located events ATC Forum, Airport Security, Global Airport Leaders Forum (GALF) and Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly – along with a new addition, CAPA’s Middle East & Africa Aviation Summit. Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organisers of the Dubai’s landmark aviation industry show, says the industry’s interest in the show had remained unfaltering and unprecedented. The GALF provides the aviation industry professionals the opportunity to discuss common issues, generate innovative solutions to meet head-on the present and future challenges, and most importantly drive global economic and social improvement and advancement. An all-encompassing look at what lies ahead will come up for review and debate at the 3rd Women in Aviation (WIA) General Assembly.
The event will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. He remarked: “The Airport Show provides an opportunity to experience the latest aviation technologies and innovations. The show and related events will contribute to our combined efforts towards the sustained growth of the global aviation industry.”
New technologies are changing the airport security landscape across the world. Security continues to play an increasingly important role as airports remain keen to accelerate their outputs, minimise disruption and ensure better customer experience. The global airport security market is projected to grow seven percent a year CAGR until 2024. The demand for latest innovations in airport security is burgeoning. It will highlight the latest technology from biometrics, scanning, face recognition, border control, access control, CCTV and other security solutions from across the world.
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UAE in Focus
Alpha Aviation Academy inaugurates milestone 50th batch
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lpha Aviation Academy (AAA), the Middle East’s leading pilot training providers, and the second largest provider of the Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) in the world, is celebrating the inauguration of its milestone 50th cadet batch.
The batch comprises of 14 cadets from 12 different countries: ten cadets from Asia, two from Africa, one from South America, and one from North America.
Lufthansa sees growth on UAE routes
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uropean aviation giant Lufthansa has reported a three percent increase in passenger traffic in the UAE for the year 2018, compared with the previous year.
traveling to and from the UAE, adding that it remains committed to “exploring new ways to offer unique experiences to our yearning customers”.
The company’s airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss, carried over 345,000 passengers to and from the UAE during the January-December period. A total of 671,000 passengers to and from the GCC region were transported in 2018, it added. Lufthansa Group saw robust demand for long-haul flights in 2018 from passengers
During 2018, the Lufthansa Group increased its passenger capacity on the UAE’s routes by four percent to meet increased customer demand. Lufthansa currently operates 41 weekly flights between Frankfurt and six destinations in the region - Dubai, Kuwait, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Bahrain.
The newly joined cadets come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. The international nature of the group is a result of Alpha Aviation’s ongoing diversity campaign, which aims to get more international cadets and women trained as pilots in the UAE.
Etihad, Gulf Air enter codeshare partnership
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tihad Airways and Gulf Air, the national airline of Bahrain, have signed a codeshare partnership, for travel commencing with the summer schedule.
‘EY’ code on Gulf Air flights from Bahrain to and from Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Casablanca, Dhaka, Faisalabad, Larnaca, Malaga, Multan, Najaf, Peshawar, Sailkot and Tbilisi.
The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two carriers at the Bahrain International Airshow in November last year and will further strengthen the strong ties between the two countries and carriers. The agreement will see Etihad place its
Gulf Air will place its ‘GF’ code on Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi to and from Bahrain, Brisbane, Chicago O'Hare, Jakarta, Lagos, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York JFK, Sydney and Washington.
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Guests who are travelling to the USA with Etihad will be able to enjoy the
preclearance facility offered at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility at Terminal 3 in Abu Dhabi Airport is a purposebuilt facility that allows US bound passengers to process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they depart. On arrival in the US, guests arrive as domestic passengers, speeding up the arrival process and making onward connections more seamless.
UAE in Focus
Dubai embarks on renovating airport runway
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ubai is embarking a recordtime renovation upgrade to resurface the south runway at Dubai International (DXB), which welcomed more than 89.1 million passengers in 2018, making it the busiest in the world by passenger traffic. Scheduled to last for 45 days, the renovation project will take place from April 15 April through to the end of May, and will improve the safety, capacity and scalability of the airport. The project is commissioned by Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and will further facilitate the arrival of an expected 25 million visitors for Expo 2020 Dubai. Under DAEP’s supervision and support, contractors successfully completed similar renovations across DXB’s runways in record time, with the most recent being an 80-day turnaround of the South and North runways in 2014. The high-intensity construction project
will require work scheduled around the clock 24/7 for 45 days while adhering to strict deadlines. The project includes removal of 6,000 existing inset runway lights followed by milling 407,000 square metres of runway and taxiway surfaces. The Stage 2 comprises the laying of 158,000 tonnes of wet-mix, 106,000 tonnes of asphalt, installation of 6,000 new LED lights, 245 guidance signs plus 12,000 new transformers and components. The Stage 3 entails the configuration of the components and software to the control tower. In the final phase, handover of the entire runway and precision landing systems will be given back to DAEP by May 31. The 80-day programme in 2014 required a workforce of 4,500, utilising 1,225 items of plant. The scope comprised the removal of 410,000m² of asphalt from existing runways, full new runway construction using 400,000 tonnes of wet-mix and 500,000 tonnes of asphalt.
Etihad Airways increases London Heathrow flights
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tihad Airways will increase its flights from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, from three to up to four daily services, to meet peak demand during the month of April. Commencing April 5, the flights will be operated by a two-class Boeing 7879, featuring Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy cabins, configured with 299 seats – 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats. Etihad Airways will add 20 additional roundtrip services between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow during the month of April.
PIA launches flights to Al Ain airport
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akistan International Airlines (PIA) has launched its flight service between Peshawar and Al Ain with two weekly flights on Fridays and Sundays. Al Ain International Airport, the second largest airport in Abu Dhabi, received PIA’s first flight from Peshawar International Airport amid an official reception to mark the occasion. Maarten de Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said these new flights will carry passengers twice a week, improving the level of services and enhancing connectivity to meet the expectations of travellers. For PIA, Al Ain is a strong market as there is a growing demand from the Pakistani community living in Al Ain to start direct flights between Al Ain and Peshawar.
New baggage service for Indian airlines from AUH
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bu Dhabi airport has announced a special service for passengers in four Indian airlines travelling from UAE. Indigo travellers can now remotely check-in their luggage via the ‘City Terminal Check-in’ service allowing them to avoid the hassle at the airport and check-in quickly. The service needs to be availed 24 hours before the time of the flight. Other India-based airlines on the list include Air India, Air India Express and Jet Airways. India is one of the most important destinations for Abu Dhabi airport.
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ADP Ingénierie
ADP Ingenierie: Digitization strategy eases passengers’ experience
ADP Ingenierie participating in Airport Show 2019 ADP Ingénierie, the consulting, design and engineering subsidiary of Groupe ADP, the world number one company in airport management, is participating in the 19th edition of Airport Show in Dubai from April 29 to May 1. The French engineering company will be exhibiting their lineup of products and services at their Booth (Number 5340) at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). ADP Ingénierie’s activities cover the entire life cycle of the airport, including security.Security in airports have been a constant source of concerns since the 9/11 attacks in the US. Many actions took place since then to make sure airports could secure their infrastructures but more importantly so they could be able to ensure a safe journey for all the passengers using the facilities. Quite often, airports simply reinforced the processes in place. More indepth controls, stricter rules, more constraints… heavy decisions that impacted the passenger’s path to his plane and generated longer lines at each step of the procedure.
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Truth is airports stakeholders seem to have acted as a reaction to events, never taking into consideration the bigger picture and the whole passenger’s experience. Of course, this can be explained as decisions were necessary and expected in a short period of time. Do airports want to further ease their passengers’ experience and shorten the process? Actions already in place were too modified/improved/ corrected to be changed once more for improvements.
So why not start from scratch and think “security by design”? It is time for airports to reconsider this “reaction” approach and envision a profound review of the entire process in order to reinvent the way passengers go through the different steps of security checks. Goals are for airports to have enough visibility on their passengers and passengers to go through all the checking points as flawlessly as possible and limit the negative impact on their experience of the airport.
Improvements in technology and the new reign of data come to transform the whole conception of security inside airports. With current technology and collection of data, infrastructures are able to obtain a solid vision of who is circulating in their airport. Current cameras coupled with artificial intelligence can now provide predictive inputs on dodgy passengers and help prevent tragic events. On a lesser measure, scans can be used now to accelerate the process for passengers. Solution exists to transform the experience to a point that even the passenger is not aware he is going through security check. For instance, Dubai is currently testing a face-scanning tunnel screening where the traveler goes through with the impression of being in an aquarium. As he looks at the fish, his face is scanned and analyzed. In other words, the experience of the passenger must be considered as a whole, from the moment he enters the airport (soon from the moment he departs from his home) to the moment he reaches his destination.
ADP Ingénierie
Data today already help us track him all along and data is used for retail purpose. But imagine what can be reached with these data used for security. Blockchain technologies are put at use by airports to bring data together and make sense out of all the data obtained from multiple sources. Reinventing the process is thinking outside the box to imagine another way to do, a better way to do it. On another hand, Robots are taking over and robotics is being used to ensure more automated and secure ways of handling baggage. Baggage scanning and RFID keep track of the luggage to limit the risk of losing it but also to keep track of its entire journey – just like its owner’s. While this strategy of digitalization eases the passengers’ experience, with all the interconnected technologies comes the risk of cyberattacks, all platforms and infrastructures are
strengthening their data management and create dedicated information centers. A common approach and combined efforts will help companies tackle this threat. Managing data and protect them are a recent adjunction to the components of the airport and to flow management.
Tracking luggage, tracking passengers and tracking the different flows are the key elements to general improvement of current processes but, most of all, to bring a smooth and seamless experience to the passengers while ensuring the safety of all.
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Special Report
Sleep Like A Baby
It is possible –and affordable - to have a good night sleep in busy international airports like Dubai through the sleeping pods
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ost travellers are caught in sleepless transit at airports at odd hours, a nap wedged between a row of chairs and a recycling bin, with the carry-on for a pillow, is the accepted norm. Or, curl up on an airport seat – despite the armrests – or, simply lie down on the cold floor with bags as headrests and coats shaped into make shift blankets. The idea of sleeping comfortably in public in an airport sounded strange. There’s nothing like a resting and rejuvenating break in the middle of a hectic travelling schedule. Scientifically, it has been proved that napping boost productivity. The futuristic-looking sleeping pods in airport lounges comes in varying sizes, shapes and price-per-hour. The simple sleeping solution is ideal for tired travellers who are waiting for their next flight. Sleeping pods provide an alternative sleeping arrangement to hotels. Sleeping pods made their appearance in sleepiest mode in 2013 when Abu Dhabi airport introduced it as part of its unique initiatives to make transiting passengers feel at home. Two years earlier, Dubai International introduced an option for sleeping comfortably in the airport which was a thing next to impossible. The Abu Dhabi International is one of the Big 3 Arabian Gulf airports vying to notch up growing numbers of international passengers across the world through the connectivity and unique passenger amenities in the air and on the grounds. It is offering passengers sleeping pods across two locations in Terminal 3. Transit passengers can catch up on
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well-earned rest in sleeping pods that fold flat to offer a refreshing airport experience you could only dream of - pay AED50 for the first hour to AED25 for the day and AED30 for the night per consecutive hour.
Starting with 10 sleeping pods on an experimental basis, the number of sleeping pods have increased to 37 in Terminal 3 across two dedicated sleep lounges, convenient for passengers coming from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.
GoSleep is a state-of-the-art chair that converts into a sleeping pod with a fold-flat bed. It was further innovated to Abu Dhabi’s specifications to offer passengers a ‘world first’ product. Inspired by an airline business class seat, GoSleep is a state-of-the-art chair that converts into a Sleeping Pod with a 180° foldflat bed. It is the world’s first GoSleep pod for travellers.
Abu Dhabi started the world’s first cocoon-like sleep pods with 10 pods and is gradually increasing it. A year after the service became popular among the travelling public, Dubai International was the next to introduce it in November 2014 at Concourses A and B in Terminal 3.
Produced in Finland, the stylishlydesigned chair is easy to operate and features a partial or fully enclosed sliding shade that cocoons the customer from light and crowds. They offer peace and relaxation as well as privacy within the busy airport environment. It has secure storage for keeping luggage and other valuables and charging facility for their laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices ¬- along with Internet access via optional tablet or laptops. The advanced models also featured a stereo and a mirror.
Google popularized the concept of having sleeping pods in the workplace. In 2012, a British company built sleeping pods that allowed its employees to sleep in the office with
Special Report
The Scandinavian-designed sleep lounge features 20 ‘igloo’ sleep pods, and seven premium double cabins with pull-out children’s beds. Passengers have the option of booking for an hour session or up to one night.
privacy. That was the time when London Olympics was approaching and people faced commuting difficulties due to traffic congestions. Increasing government investment for offering passenger-friendly facilities at airports is one of the major factors for growth of the global airport sleeping pods market. Rising capsules hotels at airports is one of the major trends for growth of the global airport sleeping pods market. The sleep-in-an-airport concept’s success in Abu Dhabi resulted in several other airports implementing the service in Europe, Asia and the US, among other regions. Dubai International has a sleep lounge featuring pods and cabins at Terminal 3. Located close to Gate A1 in Concourse A, the Sleep ‘n Fly lounge offers a total of 27 pods and cabins.
The lounge facilities include a small waiting area for arriving and departing guests and a unisex changing room. Merchandise such as pillows and blankets, shower, dental and shaving kits, neck hoodies and travel slippers are also available for sale. The Dubai airport also offers ‘SnoozeCubes’, small soundproof cubicles featuring a bed, TV, storage and Wi-Fi for passengers. Prices start at US$21 an hour for a single cube and US$28 for a shared cube. The facility was opened in 2011. The growing passenger traffic is one of the major factors driving sleep pods in the airports. Approximately 46.67 per cent of the busiest airports in the world, as of 2016, provided sleeping pods. Along with Dubai and Abu Dhabi, sleeping pods can be found in several international airports like Helsinki, Amsterdam, Tokyo Haneda, Hanoi, Delhi and across Australia. Mexico City’s airport has sleep pods with a space-age design for $30 a night. YotelAir, which offers pods in
At Munich Airport, passengers can snooze in style via a Napcab. Vancouver International Airport has a similar concept – called MetroNaps and Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International airport introduced Sleepboxes in airside areas, post-security. Amsterdam, London and Paris, is a touch more expensive at $42 for four hours. Dearer still is Minute Suites, which has operations in four American airports. Airports are increasingly re-designing, innovating and even creating, to make the travel experience as comfortable and seamless as possible. Sleeping overnight in an airport has become a sort of a phenomenon that even inspired a best-selling novel - Dear American Airlines. “It is comfort and affordability that matters most to globalised travellers,” remarked (Larry) Peter Swan, Founder of Snoozecube which pioneered the first modular accommodation for airports and introduced it at the Dubai International. In October 2011, he launched it with 10 units at Dubai International and since then the growth graph is just up and up. Since May 2017, DXB have a brand-new sleep lounge, the first of its kind at the airport, featuring 27 pods and cabins in which you can grab a few minutes’ rest. The “sleep ’n fly lounge” is popping up near Gate A1 in Concourse A, and offers up 20 different state-ofthe-art, private sleep pods, plus seven premium double cabins featuring pullout children’s beds.
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Middle East News
First Saudi female air traffic controllers begins work
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he Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS) has celebrated the appointment and start of work of the first batch of Saudi female air traffic controllers at an air traffic control centre in Jeddah. Eleven women completed a oneyear program conducted by SANS in cooperation with the Saudi Academy of Civil Aviation. This is the first program to qualify women to work as air traffic controllers. The academy initiative, in collaboration with SANS, seeks to create more jobs for women as part of a reform push to wean the economy off oil. Vision 2030 plan aims to increase employment and diversify revenue sources. The state-owned company has been prioritizing the hiring of women in the profession, as the country pushes to extend women’s rights in the country and also recruit more nationals as part of the Saudisation project. Under Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman’s Vision 2030, Saudi women have been welcomed into a variety of industries and are taking up roles previously reserved for men. With the plan working to encourage more women to take up employment, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports announced that it would be soon recruiting women to take up careers within airports and land border crossings – and though only 140 vacancies within these positions, over 105,000 women sent in an application.
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Oman to award Muscat airport upgrade contracts
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he Sultanate of Oman is putting into works its strategy to upgrade airports and logistics capabilities for the year ahead. It has been outlined by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Oman News Agency (ONA) says to boost aviation capabilities, the rehabilitation of Muscat International Airport’s southern runway will begin this year. The ministry will also start implementing a Master Plan to repurpose the old Muscat airport building.
The construction of an aircraft maintenance building and a distribution centre for corrosive materials at Muscat International Airport will also be carried out in 2019.
Oman Air greenest airline landing at LHR
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man Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has been recognised as the cleanest and quietest carrier in contributing to the reduction of the noise footprint at the London Heathrow airport, as per the Fly Quiet and Green chart published by LHR airport authorities. The airline which came second in the third quarter of last year has jumped one place up making it the first best long-haul performer in ‘fly quiet and green’ chart in Q4 2018.
This positive ranking comes as a result of the airline investing in modernising its fleet and deploying its modern eco-friendly Boeing 787 Dreamliners on the London Heathrow service. Heathrow’s latest ‘Fly Quiet and Green’ league table, ranks the performance of the top 50 airlines on seven noise and emission metrics, had placed Oman Air in second position in the third quarter of 2018, climbing up 26 places over the previous quarter.
Middle East News
Bahrain airport’s new Gulf Air welcomes second Airbus passenger terminal A320neo to its fleet to open in Q3
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ahrain’s Gulf Air has welcomed the second Airbus A320neo to its fleet.
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ahrain International Airport’s (BIA) modernisation programme is more than 80 per cent complete and the construction work is rapidly proceeding as the aviation hub’s new passenger terminal building readies to open in Q3 2019. The Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) said operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT) work is under way for Bahrain International Airport’s new passenger terminal building – a central feature of the airport modernisation programme.
Boeing forecasts ME aviation services market at US$745 billion
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oeing projects the Middle East will require US$745 billion in aviation services through 2037 to keep pace with growing passenger and freight traffic in the region. The high value services market is largely driven by the demand for nearly 3,000 new commercial airplanes in the Middle East over the next twenty years, more than tripling the existing fleet.
This is the second aircraft of the 12 A320neo aircraft ordered during the 2016 Bahrain International Airshow. This delivery also makes Gulf Air the first national carrier to fly the A320neo in the Middle East and Africa region. Gulf Air CEO Krešimir Kučko commented: “We are proud to be the first national carrier in the region to operate the A320neo.
We invite our loyal customers to come on-board and enjoy the experience of flying on A320neo.
We have a strong network in the region with multiple daily flights to 10 regional cities and the addition of A320neo into our fleet will strengthen our position in our market.
Gulf Air’s A320neo is the most advanced A320 version. Featuring the widest single aisle cabin in the market, the new aircraft is deliver 15 per cent fuel burn reduction per seat.
Four female pilots joins ME airlines
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our new women have now proven their efficiency to be pilot and joined the piloting crew in Lebanon. The Middle East Airlines (MEA) has opened its doors to every trainee, regardless of gender. The requirement remains very strict in proving such efficiency as to fly their own plane.
It has been estimated that between three and six per cent of pilots at the world’s largest commercial airlines are women. Compared with other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the UAE has more women pilots, captains, aircraft engineers, mechanics, aircraft maintenance and air traffic controllers, among others.
The ICAO data shows over 5.18 per cent of pilots are females. Estimates from the International Society of Women Airline Pilots show there are 7,409 women pilots across the world. Women make up about five per cent of the 53,000 members of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the world’s largest pilot union.
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International News
Long-awaited Jewel Changi Airport opens in mid-April
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ingapore is opening Jewel Changi Airport this month.
More than five years since revealing plans for the airport’s stunning new addition, officials have announced that the complex will open to the public on April 17. The distinctive doughnutshaped Jewel is first and foremost a central hub, connecting three of
Changi Airport’s current four terminals. Conceived by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie as a new “magical garden,” Jewel Changi Airport is over 1.4 million square feet and cost a reported US$1.25 billion to build. It will have a total of 10 stories -- five above ground and five below -- filled with various attractions, gardens,
Thai airports that do not allow smoking
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ix Thai airports had been declared no-smoking zones, The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has revealed. The TAT) is advising all tourists and travellers who are planning air travel via the kingdom’s six major airports that all smoking rooms inside the terminals have been closed since February 2019.
Manchester airport to handle 45 million travellers
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anchester Airport, which handled 28.2 million passengers in 2018, will have the capacity to handle 45 million travellers per year once its current Manchester Airport Transformation Project (MAN-TP) is completed. Manchester Airport is the busiest airport in the UK outside of London and the only one other than Heathrow with two full-length runways that are both capable of handling trans-continental longhaul operations. It is currently in the midst of its £1.0 billion Manchester Airport
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Transformation Project (MAN-TP), which is designed to upgrade its terminal and airside infrastructure to unlock the additional capacity potential of its two runways. For its current financial year ends March, it is targeting 28.5 million passengers. For the calendar year 2018, it had reached a total of 28.2 million passengers.
280 retail and F&B outlets and a 130-cabin YOTELAIR Singapore Changi Airport hotel.
The six airports are Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai, all operated and managed by the Airports of Thailand (AOT). According to AOT, the move to close all smoking rooms is in line with the 2017 Tobacco Control Act.
Construction of Bulacan airport to start soon
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he Philippines is going to start work on a new international airport in Bulacan, about 11 kilometres north of Manila, this year. Dubbed as the ‘biggest airport in the world’, the project proponent San Miguel Corporation (SMC) said that the construction of the airport is eyed to begin next year and would be finished in six years. The project is crucial as the Bulacan airport is seen as one of the possible alternatives to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to decongest the country’s main gateway.
International News
Salzburg Airport to close for five weeks
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ustria’s Salzburg Airport will close operations for air traffic for five weeks in 2019 to renovate its 60-year-old runway.
The closure will be effective April 24 to May 28. To make the construction work as simple as possible, the airport decided to stop all operations. The authorities will carry out “a thorough and general refurbishment” of the airport’s runway. “Over the last years the almost 60-year-old runway 15/33 at Salzburg Airport had to be partly renovated
over and over again, causing enormous costs. Since this procedure can no longer be repeated for safety reasons, a general refurbishment of the runway is now inevitable. The method chosen for renovating the runway is the safest way to help protect the population from noise during the night time. Salzburg is the second largest airport in Austria, with flights operated by a number of carriers from the UK and Ireland (some seasonally), including Aer Lingus, British Airways, easyjet, Flybe, Jet 2, Norwegian and Ryanair.
Adani Group to operate five Indian airports
Munich airport is located around 130km from Salzburg, with a regular rail service available between the two cities. Earlier, it was announced that Milan Linate airport will also close for three months next summer, to allow for works on its runway and terminal building.
Angkasa Pura plans new airport in Jakarta
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ndonesia’s largest airport operator is looking to spend billions of dollars to build a new facility in Jakarta and upgrade the existing one to cater to an unprecedented travel boom and compete with neighbouring countries for tourism revenue.
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he Adani Group, which is into ports, logistics, mining and edible oil, has sprung a surprise when it outbid leading airport players to win the contracts to manage all the five airports put up for privatisation— Trivandrum, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. When financial bids were opened by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Guwahati also followed suit. The winning of bids by the Adani Group, which has no prior experience in running airports, surprised everyone as it outbid experienced
players like GMR Airports, Zurich Airport International, Cochin International Airport Ltd, among others, by offering higher fee per passenger to the AAI. The Indian aviation sector, which has been recording double-digit growth over the past three to four years, needs private investment to sustain it. Globally, four out of the top five earning airports in the world—Heathrow, Frankfurt, Madrid and Paris—are private. Since their privatisation, airports in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have recorded phenomenal growth.
Angkasa Pura II, the state-owned operator of 16 airports across Indonesia, will conclude a feasibility study for a Greenfield airport in the archipelago’s capital this year that may require an investment of about US$7 billion. The company is already spending hundreds of million dollars in adding a new terminal and a runway in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
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Opinion
Aviation Security is of critical importance A
viation is the business of freedom.It enables people and business to connect globally. Flying helps them to discover the planet, build new markets, stay in touch with friends or family, and create opportunities for better understanding. The fundamental good that aviation as the business of freedom brings to the world, however, makes it a potential target for terrorists. The UN Security Council Resolution 2309 makes it clear that governments have the primary responsibility for aviation security. The industry is fully committed to a partnership relationship that keeps our passengers, crew and cargo secure. Flying is secure. Keeping it that way is not an easy task. Threats are evolving. The geo-political landscape is complex. Technology is rapidly changing. And the volumes of both cargo and travellers keeps growing. Those wishing to do us harm have no state allegiance; they cross borders to share information and collaborate to refine their methods of causing chaos and destruction. The focus of governments must be on protecting people. And that cannot be done with insular thinking. The IATA is working with ICAO and supporting states in developing an online security application that facilitates the exchange of critical security occurrence data. The plan
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is to make it available to all IATA members and IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registered carriers later this year. Cybersecurity is the emerging threat. The digital transformation of the airline industry holds immense promise. It is on everybody’s business plan. In moving forward with digital transformation, however, we must ensure that our aviation systems remain safe, secure and resilient to cyber-attack. We cannot afford to learn through failure if we are to maintain the hard-won trust in our industry. With the number of travellers expected to reach 8.2 billion in 2037, aviation will become even more critical. We have an important role to play in making that happen. Global standards, informationsharing, risk-based analysis and a careful watch on emerging threats are the tools that will help us deliver—keeping aviation the business of freedom secure for decades to come. Excerpts from the speech at the AVSEC World
Alexandre de Juniac Director General and CEO IATA
Opinion
Stamp out slot misuse A
viation is a cornerstone of Singapore’s economy. It provides many good jobs for our people, and contributes significantly to our GDP. It links Singapore with the rest of the world, facilitating the growth of other parts of our economy, such as trade, investments, services and tourism. As demand for air travel continues to grow, this sector will grow in importance. Changi East, with Terminal 5 as the centrepiece, is our bold investment for the future. It will enable Changi Airport to tap on future opportunities and cement our position as a competitive and premier air hub. The Changi East development is unprecedented in scale and complexity, and is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars.
a pre-allocated slot, which is the permission to use airport infrastructure, such as the runway, terminal, apron and gate, at a specific time. The use of slots at Changi Airport is coordinated by the airport’s slots coordinator. As traffic through Changi Airport increases, it is even more imperative that we stamp out slot misuse. Today, Singapore follows the Worldwide Slot Guidelines, published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on recommended practices for slot coordination.
Ng Chee Meng Second Minister Ministry of Transport Republic of Singapore
Changi East will be funded through a joint contribution model comprising the Government, the airport operator, who is known as the “airport licensee” in the Bill, and airport users. The Government will pay the majority of the costs, while the airport operator will contribute a substantial portion of its surpluses and reserves. Airport users will contribute through aeronautical charges and a new Airport Development Levy (ADL). Changi Airport is the world’s sixth busiest international airport in terms of international passenger traffic. Every 90 seconds, one flight takes off or lands in Changi. Each of these flights requires
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ATM
Digital ATC towers in Australia and NZ
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digital tower is due be operational at Auckland Airport in 2020.
The push is on to introduce digital air traffic control tower technology at airports both in Australia and across the Tasman. Airservices Australia says digital tower technology, which it calls Digital Aerodrome Services (DAS), can provide an effective replacement or contingency backup to existing conventional air traffic control towers while delivering cost savings. The technology involves capturing imagery of an airport and surrounding airspace via video cameras, sometimes up to 15 mounted on a mast.
New radar system at Glasgow Airport
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lans for one of the largest wind farm developments in Scotland have been given the green light following the installation of a state-of-the-art radar system at Glasgow Airport. Together with NATS and Banks Renewables, the Glasgow Airport has introduced a new radar that can mitigate the impact of the Kype Muir Wind Farm near Strathaven, South Lanarkshire. The development will generate 88.4MW of renewable energy from its 26 turbines. NATS will manage the dual Terma SCANTER 4002 radar system which is capable of supporting air traffic control requirements and mitigating the impact of the turbines. The system is now operational and NATS has secured the contract to operate and maintain
the service for the 25-year life of the wind farm. Due to their height and movement patterns, wind turbines can have a range of impacts on navigational systems, including being detected by Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) and appearing on air traffic control screens. This can have a number of impacts including distracting controllers, masking ‘real’ aircraft and mimicking the appearance of actual aircraft to the extent that they must be avoided by other aircraft. Such impacts can have a detrimental impact on the safety, efficiency and capacity of airspace surrounding the airport.
RAAF trials air traffic management technologies
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traffic management system next to the air traffic control (ATC) tower at the RAAF Base Amberley.
Indra Australia and Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace have been working in partnership with the Surveillance and Response Group to install a Kongsberg 360 camera system and integrated inNOVA air
The installation work has been as a result of an offer to demonstrate the system’s remote ATC tower capabilities. The installation marks a significant milestone as the first virtual air traffic management system installation on a defence establishment in the southern hemisphere. The system includes a panoramic out-the-window
he Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is trialling emerging technology in air traffic management (ATM) with an active demonstration of a virtual control tower that can be operated remotely anywhere in the world.
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view, external surveillance feed of augmented reality information on the display screens, and an integrated view of ATC information for remote control.
Salalah Airport Welcome to our Five Star Airport
April 2019 Salalah Airport 5 STAR AIRPORT
Muscat Int‘l Airport
Salalah Airport
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Airlines
LCCs increasingly attracted to primary airports
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any Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) have been flying increasingly from primary and even major hub airports, resulting in passenger yields being considerably higher, even if loads are lower and costs higher. On the downside, a rapid turnaround is more difficult to achieve, according to a study by Centre of Aviation (CAPA) of 139 LCCs operating across the world. The report identified the degree to which primary airports have been infiltrated by budget airlines. It revealed that primary and hub/ gateway airports are increasingly seeking to attract budget airlines and that the number, size, and scope of LCCs continue to grow, globally.
SpiceJet joins IATA, signs up with Amadeus
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piceJet has become the first Indian budget carrier to join the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has over 290 airlines as members. The IATA) membership allows it to explore and grow its collaborations with international member airlines of IATA through interlining and code shares. The IATA membership is also significant on account of SpiceJet’s plans to rapidly expand its international footprint. It has appointed travel technology solutions provider Amadeus as its first global distribution partner, which would help it reach out to new markets and travellers worldwide.
This distribution tie-up with Amadeus will enable the airline’s customers to connect with its growing international network. Established as air taxi provider ModiLuft in 1994, the company was acquired by Indian entrepreneur Ajay Singh in 2004 and rechristened as SpiceJet. The airline operated its first flight in May 2005. Today, it operates 516 flights daily connecting 59 destinations, including to eight international airports with of 48 Boeing 737s, and 27 regional jets Bombardier Q-400s. It also has a freighter, a Boeing 737, in the fleet to cater to the cargo flights network.
End of the road for Air France Joon in June
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ir France has finally set a date for the end of Joon.
Bamboo Airways to ink US$3 billion aircraft deal
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ietnam’s newly-launched Bamboo Airways has plans to order as many as 25 narrow- and wide-body Boeing aircraft this year as the nation’s newest carrier prepares for flights to the US and Europe. The deal would increase Bamboo Airways’ Boeing fleet to 55. The carrier’s parent, property and leisure
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company FLC Group, agreed to buy 24 Airbus SE A321neo planes worth US$3.2 billion at list price. Bamboo Airways signed a separate deal with Boeing to buy 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners worth about US$3 billion. In June, it signed a commitment for 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners with a list price of US$5.6 billion before customary discounts.
The millennial oriented Air France subsidiary has been earmarked for closure since early January, but it looks the airline will be wrapped up throughout June with the last flight scheduled for June 28. Joon was created as Air France attempted to capture younger millennial customers.
The airline sported a trendy uniform with a dance inspired safety video. Thankfully the airline’s flights won’t be cancelled just yet as the airline will be reabsorbed into Air France’s operations.
Cargo & Logistics
Cargo airlines face pilot shortages
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edEx, the world’s largest airline by freight tonne-kilometres flown, is dealing with an impending pilot shortage. The Memphis-based carrier is expected to lose 150-200 of its 4,500 pilots this year and a similar number each year for the foreseeable future. The reason for this departure is that
many pilots are reaching the federally mandated retirement age of 65. FedEx has attempted to delay the departure of pilots near retirement age by offering bonus incentives of US$40,000- US$110,000 in exchange for continued service into 2019. FedEx is already the highest paying airline for pilots with thirty years of experience at over US$300,000. The entire commercial airline industry is facing a shortage of pilots for both cargo and passenger planes. Estimates suggest that there will be 1,600 unfilled pilot positions in the US by 2020. One of the reasons for the lack of new commercial pilots is due to the high barriers of entry for new pilots.
MASkargo looks at new ULD tracking solution
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ASkargo, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, has signed a cooperation deal with TW Control (TWC), CORE Transport Technologies (CORE) and Nordisk Aviation Products (Nordisk) for a tracking solution of its containers and pallets. With this development, MASkargo with TWC and CORE will incorporate COREInsight tracking solution for its containers and pallets supplied
by Nordisk. TWC is the local partner appointed by CORE to implement the tag and reader tracking solution for MASkargo and also the developer of the ULD Management Software associated with the technology at hand. Real-time ULD tracking information will enable MASkargo to more accurately monitor and replan shipments that are delayed due to irregular operations, such as extreme weather events. This will enable customers to have endto-end tracking of the ULDs starting in their own warehouses throughout the journey to the final destination.
Amazon becoming a player in the logistics industry
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nalysts think the recent expansion of Amazon Air to include 50 planes and several new regional hubs, including a US$1.5 billion hub opening in northern Kentucky in 2021, are steps towards becoming a big player. According to Wolfe Research, the e-commerce giant is now handling its own shipping for 26 percent of online orders. Amazon said that it can transport hundreds of thousands of packages per day with its new “dedicated air network� and that its fleet of planes make two-day shipping possible almost anywhere in the US.
Panalpina sets historic record in airfreight volumes
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wiss forwarder Panalpina has recorded 32 percent increase in the consolidated profit - CHF75.7 million last year compared to CHF57.5 million in 2017. On the other hand, gross profit increased 7 percent to CHF1,499.7 million, as compared to CHF1,397.8 million last to last year. The company stated that it was helped by historic record in air freight volumes, a recovering ocean freight product and solid profitability in logistics.
This is a radical and bold transformation for a typical 145 Repair ULD workshop and we intend to use it to the fullest to assist our clients in ULD management.
April 2019
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Technology
Sydney Airport testing futuristic face recognition technology
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ydney Airport has launched one of the world’s most ambitious airport facial recognition trials at its T1 International terminal. The landmark trial is testing four key aspects of a new biometrics processing system, including check-in, bag drop, lounge access and boarding using world-leading technology. Ultimately, biometrics processing will also be implemented across mobile check-in and automated border processing. At its heart, this is about making the journey more convenient and
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ome passengers and aviation experts are concerned that cameras installed on airplane seats could be used by airlines or third party hackers to spy on them and steal data.
relaxing for our passengers. As one of the oldest continually operating airports and the base for Nigel Love’s first commercial flight, Sydney Airport now accommodates more than 43 million passengers.
New laser weapon to end drone menace at airports
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aytheon, a leading US defence company, has developed a system designed to identify unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and disable them. The ground-based technology can shoot down the drones with lasers or adopt a “soft kill” approach where signal jammers prevent their operation.
Todd Probert, a senior official at Raytheon, told The National the company had seen a recent rise in interest for products capable of taking on drones. The latest system, Windshear, performed well in tests and would soon be ready for sale. Companies around the world are rushing to develop systems to take down drones, especially near airports and radar jammers and laser cannons are being developed. Commercial flights at some of the world’s busiest hubs—in New York, London and Dubai—have been grounded in recent times amid concerns that nearby drones could endanger airliners. The rising number of incidents has put the threat in the public eye and propelled interest in antidrone technology.
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Can airplane seat cameras spy on passengers?
According to a report by CNN, this could be scrutinized via cameras installed in your inflight entertainment system (IFE). The fact that some aircraft seats have built-in cameras is not new knowledge. Panasonic Avionics, a US-based company, supplies IFE for many of the major airlines. It announced a while back that it’s added cameras onto seat backs. The idea was seat-back cameras could facilitate onboard immigration, skipping lines when you land. It was also suggested that a seat-back camera could aid payment processing for onboard shopping. At the 2017 Dubai Airshow, Panasonic Avionics announced the latest incarnation of IFE featuring a camera, plus a microphone and speaker.
Technology
Stratospheric drone reaches new heights
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new type of drone which is launched by balloon into the stratosphere has successfully reached an altitude of 82,000ft during test flights in Europe, opening up the possibility of new types of atmospheric and meteorological research to scientists for the first time. The Hidron stratospheric aircraft
ascends through the atmosphere on a weather balloon, is released once it reaches its target altitude and then glides slowly to a pre-programmed landing zone over several hours. The drone collects data while descending using a payload of sensors and instruments, which meteorologists and climate scientists can then analyse.
Robots to help with aircraft cabin installations
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n the future, it looks as though aircraft cabin interiors will be installed by humans and machines working side by side, as is already the case for the fuselage on the final assembly line. Hamburg’s ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research has displayed at a technology show a new inkjetbased aircraft coating system
Tech on and off airplanes A irlines are staking new competitive territory with tech on and off planes. Data-driven applications, onboard Wi-Fi connectivity, and virtual reality are just some things they are offering to tech-savvy flyers. Alaska Airlines is among those looking to leverage technology to revolutionize
flyers’ experiences. It merged about two years ago with Virgin America. On the list of new initiatives from Alaska Airlines include seating and dining improvements, as well as various technological advancements to do things like order-ahead snacks and beverages from airport lounges. Alaska Airlines was the first ever to have the kiosks and mobile check in.
European airline EasyJet is using data analytics for everything from customer trip-planning to predictive analytics. EasyJet hoards all of the data it can get — on its planes, on its customers, where they go, what they do, what they eat. EasyJet is using data from customers and
and a robot butler for the aircraft manufacturing hangar. At the ZAL TechCenter, Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg and the University of Innsbruck in Austria are both working together with Airbus to test the use of exoskeletons in aircraft production, with a view to aiding production workers in the lifting of heavy loads during cabin upgrades.
other sources to map out entire trips for users. Its web application has a feature that plans an entire trip in one tap. Users enter whatever amount of money they’re willing to spend, and the app returns an itinerary, complete with a flight to a particular city, a hotel, and a local event to attend. Many airports are now using biometrics to help travellers quickly cut through the identity and security holdups. Seventy-one percent of airlines and 77 percent of airports plan research and development projects in biometrics ID management in next three years, according to SITA’s Air Transport IT Insights 2018 report.
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Tourism
Dubai launches online marketplace to boost tourist attractions
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he Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has launched its B2B Attractions Marketplace. The initiative has been designed to help attractions access the industry’s network of B2B resellers, increasing productivity across the breadth of Dubai’s destination offering. The online platform, called Priohub, aims to connect attractions and experiences across the city with global audiences and relevant channel partners. The initiative has been designed to help attractions access the industry’s network of B2B resellers, increasing productivity across the breadth of Dubai’s destination offering. The integrated platform supports the city’s goal of becoming the world’s most visited and revisited destination by 2025, placing destinations in front of global audiences and helping them manage their booking and customer relationship management processes, said Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM).
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Dubai’s new take on desert camping
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ust over 100 kilometres from Dubai’s skyscrapers, 27-yearold Emirati Mohammed Al-Kaabi strolls through the tranquil desert with his friends as the sun sets.
Kaabi hails from the people with a centuries-old bedouin history tied inextricably to the local desert. Today, he is among a fast-growing group drawn to a new wave of a tradition of desert camping but with all the trappings of comfort, style and modernity. With glamping (short for glamorous camping, Dubai aims to expand on its renown for luxurious city living and its tradition of camping. Dubai
is now offering stays in chic desert trailers, in plush mountainside lodgings and beach camps, as it seeks to put its own mark on the glamping trend that has swept world tourism destinations, according to a report in The Gulf Today. Camping is still a beloved way of life for many Emiratis, who take their equipment and head for the desert from the fall months onwards, when the scorching summer heat has faded. Tourists and expat residents also increasingly opt to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
Sensory tourism emerging in Australia
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new kind of tourism is emerging in Australia, but it involves everything except sight-seeing.
Sensory tourism has changed the lives of many people with a vision impairment, allowing them to have more inclusive tourist experiences. Sydney-based James McFarlane has been a tour guide for more than a decade, but it was not until recently that he saw a gap in the market when a blind person came
on one of his trips. Being able to experience things in his own way through smell, taste and touch has been extremely rewarding for him. He said the opportunities offered by sensory tourism were making life a lot brighter.
Tourism
Al Marmoom: Dubai’s next big tourist attraction
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Al Maktoum, the massive project covers 10 per cent of Dubai’s total area.
Unveiled last year by the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
The first unfenced desert conservation reserve in the country, it spans more than 40 hectares of shrub land and is home to more than 204 species of native birds, 158 species of migratory birds, 26 species of reptiles, nine mammal species, and 39 species of plants.
ith massive desert landscapes as well as huge stretches of man-made lakes, the Al Marmoom conservation reserve in Dubai is now being touted as the emirate’s next big tourism destination, Gulf News reported.
Egypt’s tourism fastest growing in North Africa
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he World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has published a report which revealed that Egypt’s tourism sector witnessed a huge boom in 2018, making it the fastest growing in North Africa. The WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara hailed Egypt’s strong recovery in tourism and stressed this sector’s importance towards economic growth and job creation. According to the report, tourism in Egypt is responsible for providing 2.5 million jobs, equivalent to 9.5 percent of the total number of jobs in Egypt. It added that tourism contributed 11.9 percent of Egypt’s GDP last year, and the sector’s contribution to the GDP is expected to further increase in 2019.
SA tourism under threat while Africa’s booms
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outh Africa can lose its spot as Africa’s top travel destination as a report shows tourists from wealthy countries are down as much as 11 per cent.
Although overall visitor arrivals are up, people from key overseas tourism markets are heading elsewhere. StatsSA’s 2018 tourist data shows an increase in
arrivals of 1.8 per cent, to 10.4 million last year – but visitors from wealthy overseas markets are down from as much as 11 per cent from the Middle East and New Zealand, to 3.8 per cent fewer from the UK, 1.7 per cent less from Germany, five per cent less from France, eight per cent fewer from the Netherlands and four per cent fewer from India.
Saudis seek US$20 billion investments for Al Ula tourism
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he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is targeting up to US$20 billion of investments through 2035 for a planned landmark tourism destination and will hold a global investor roadshow before the end of the year. Al Ula, the site of an ancient civilisation in a remote northwestern corner of the country, is part of plans by the world’s top crude exporter to diversify its
economy away from oil and open up after decades of reclusion. The Royal Commission for Al Ula expects targeted investments to eventually generate 35,000 jobs and contribute a combined US$32 billion to GDP over the next 17 years.
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