VIA DUBAI ENGLISH OCTOBER 2019

Monthly Newsletter issued by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority

www.viadubaionline.com

Issue 77 October 2019

Robust Rise

Miles High Connectivity

GCAS trained over 50,000 in 10 years

Count till the last straw

Embraer unveils fixed-wing electric demonstrator

Inside DCAA

DCAA Interview

Opinions

“Happiness Bazaar” Initiative

Implementing the paperless government concept

Priority for innovation in aviation security

Abdulla Al Hamadi

Angela Gittens

7

Middle East News 20

Khaled Jaafar

Airlines 26

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ATM 27

Let’s live up to the legacy 24

Alexandre de Juniac

25

Technology 29

Message

from the President

High-Flying Achievement

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hen it comes to its unambiguous ambition of making a lasting mark on the world map, Dubai has always remained in a high-flying mode throughout its history. It is in its psyche to think big and achieve bigger.

One of Dubai’s biggest and history-making success has been its airshow which started off humbly in 1986 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), seven years after it was built as the country’s first purpose-built complex for events and exhibitions.

Ever since it moved out to the Dubai International Airport in 1989 on a 7,000-square-metres space and then to Dubai World Central, it has seen an impressive growth.

This year’s biennial edition will take place with 1,200 exhibitors from 63 countries. At its last edition two years ago, the world’s third largest airshow, the value of deals reached the US$114 billion mark. The spectacular business record will continue in the years to come given the rapid growth of aerospace industry.

Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Unlike other airshow venues, Dubai is an entirely different aviation success story – it is home to the world’s top airport for international travellers and its iconic airline being the largest operator of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s in the world.

The rising profile of Dubai Airshow amply illustrates the unmatched confidence the world has posed in the Arab world’s second biggest economy and fast-rising global aviation hub. The airshows have come of age in terms of improved organising abilities and increased participation of companies and aircraft. It is amply visible in Dubai, the centre of a booming new air travel market. For the city to develop a strong magnetic pull, Dubai’s inspiring leadership took the conscious business decisions with a clear vision.

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Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai

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 07

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

DCAA Interview

Coordinator Hanan Al Mazimi Creative Manager Mohammed Al Jarouf Marketing Manager Fahed Mohammed E-mail: viadubai1@naddalshiba.com

“Happiness Bazaar” Initiative

08 Implementing the paperless government concept Khaled Jaafar

Legal Disclaimer

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.

Abdulla Al Hamadi

UAE in Focus 12

Emirates reshuffles top management

13

Summer rush at Abu Dhabi airport

Advertise with us

Editorial, Production, PR & Marketing Nadd AlShiba PR and Event Management

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

September 2019

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youtube.com/user/dcaadubai

Message

from the Director General

Safer Dubai Airshow

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hen Dubai Airshow shifted to an open-air facility, for the first time, near the Dubai International Airport precincts in 1989, the role of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) took a challenging turn. That edition had aircraft on display for the first time - 25 aircraft, due to the personal directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was then the UAE’s Minister of Defence. This year’s edition, will have 165 aircraft on the static park at the aerospace show, now the third largest in the world. Exhilarating flying displays also became a key public attraction.

As the government organisation mandated with regulating, developing and enforcing the aviation safety and security, we have remained in the forefront of ensuring all goes well at the show each biennial edition, supported by us. Initially, to facilitate the conduct of flying displays, the airspace around the emirate’s lone airport used to be closed to non-participating aircraft during selected time periods. The situation changed when the airshow was moved to a purpose-built facility at Dubai World Central (DWC).

As the show grew in size, flying displays too grew. Trade professionals were drawn towards new aircraft on static display and flying test sorties. The static display of aircraft in one venue allows buyers to evaluate a wide spectrum of aircraft options in person, but those aircraft needs to be fully serviced prior to moving onto the display site.

The flying display demonstrates their technical capabilities.

Last edition, the event had 160-plus aircraft on display.

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Mohammed Abdulla Ahli

An A350-900 XWB aircraft soared above the crowds in the flying display. For the first time, two Boeing 777300ER and A380 conducted a joint flying display along the DWC runway in front of stands and the large static display.

Display of aircraft and flying sorties appear normal to commoners, but they actually involve months of meticulous planning and collaboration between multiple stakeholders. According to the International Council of Air Shows, flying displays are safe for spectators.

Inside DCAA

Year of Tolerance

A country for cultural diversity

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ultural diversity is a muchcelebrated asset of a progressive nation. It has a cascading effect on the society in terms of religious tolerance among the people from different faiths and beliefs.

Cultural diversity ensures societies maintain better understanding among the people as cultures are not the dividers, but simply connectors for nation-building.

That make the world truly a global village. The cultural diversity provides us the opportunity to broaden our perspective by learning about

the customs, traditions and lifestyle of others. Being home to people from over 200 nationalities, the UAE provides an opportunity to us to interact with people of different cultures and learn about their ways of life and beliefs and notice parallels between cultures.

That gives us the opportunity to realize that we are all different, but the same.

Cultural diversity plays a crucial role towards the path of globalization. Cultural inclusiveness is the catalyst to not only improving the culture of workplaces, but within our own

neighbourhoods and communities.

It is this cultural diversity that drives the UAE’s economic, social and intellectual development. The UAE’s social cohesion has made it an international model of cultural diversity.

The country is committed towards eradicating ideological, cultural and religious bigotry in the society.

The UAE has taken several measures towards this journey – it has the world’s first Tolerance and Happiness ministers, a Tolerance Award and an International Institute for Tolerance.

“Happiness Bazaar” Initiative

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he Sound of Happiness Team of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) organised an initiative entitled “Happiness Bazaar”. A number of DCAA employees participated in this initiative through selling a variety of products in the bazaar. In addition to the Authority’s employees, the initiative attracted and met the satisfaction of a number of strategic partners. Such initiatives create a positive environment with the aim to enhance employee productivity. At the end of the initiative, participants were duly honoured.

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DCAA Interview

Implementing the paperless government concept

In line with the Smart Dubai initiative DCAA is aming to become a paperless department to enhance the culture of excellence and customer satisfaction In an exclusive interview with Via Dubai, Abdulla Al Hamadi, Director of Accident Investigation and Aircraft Oversight Department at Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), speaks about the achievements of the Authority in terms of realizing the leadership’s vision that views the role of governments as one of creating an environment bound to make people happy, with the UAE believing that the role of governments is to make people happy and to provide an environment to nurture people’s ambitions, with the ultimate aim of enhancing the culture of excellence and upgrading the performance and services of government authorities.

The Authority’s efforts are focused on measuring customer satisfaction in dealing with Dubai’s government authorities, which eventually led to the shift to instant approvals in rendering its services without having to wait too long to get them as before. The Authority managed as well to spare its clients the effort of having to visit its premises to get the services required or inquire about them. Finally, and in line with Smart Dubai aspirations, the Authority is keen on becoming a paperless government department.

happiness, satisfaction and trust are a top priority for the Authority, which is in line with what the Dubai government is working to achieve.

Excerpts from the interview: What is the role of the Aircraft Oversight Section?

The Aircraft Oversight Section of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) is one of the sections that has an essential role to play in relation to ensuring the highest standards of safety in the civil aviation sector of the Emirate of Dubai, while also providing a high quality and efficient performance that matches the Authority’s strategy and leading role of providing its services to aviation operators (airlines) in Dubai and make Dubai The World Airport

On a different context, the Authority is continually working on the professionalism of its frontline staff, speed and ease of service completion, quality of information and services, privacy of customers and improve the website to provide the service.

What is the nature of your work in the Aircraft Oversight Section?

The Aircraft Oversight Section is composed of a team of national talents and experience in aviation engineering and operations management. The Section is mandated to handle oversight and inspection of foreign aircraft owned by airlines and private sector operators operating in Dubai. This is done in coordination and cooperation with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in accordance with international requirements and standards and within local and federal legislations, regulations and policies, and in line with ICAO regulations, policies and procedures.

Via Dubai also spoke to Khaled Jaafar, Aircraft Oversight Inspector in the Accident Investigation and Aircraft Oversight Department.He spoke about the Section, its role, major achievements and preparations to keep pace with upcoming global events hosted in Dubai. He stressed that customer

Other duties of the Section include issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for transport aircraft, helicopters or parts via shipping companies which can be availed on an instant approval basis without the customer having to visit the authority’s headquarter.

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Applications can be submitted online through the e-service system on the Authority’s website, with the aim to regulate all related commercial activities, so as to ensure all companies and individuals are committed to local and international laws and regulations, while also ensuring the implementation of the highest level of safety standards. Our task does not end here as we work in cooperation with our strategic partners to further develop our services, simplify procedures and reduce completion times in order to gain customer satisfaction and ensure their trust.

How is aircraft oversight and inspection carried out on foreign aircraft?

The aircraft inspection programme is carried out as required in coordination with GCAA, as DCAA provides support and cooperation in implementing aircraft oversight and facilitating inspections. The federal authority provides us with reports in the scope of local and federal legislations and laws. This mechanism is applied as part of a programme by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), an EU agency mandated to deliver regulatory and executive functions in the field of civil aviation safety, with the aim to ensure the quality and safety of aviation. Aircraft inspections are implemented as follows: We inspect the general condition of an aircraft exterior to ensure there are no damages or leaks. We also inspect flight operations and check the documents on-board the aircraft cockpit, while also inspecting the aircraft’s cabin safety equipment and baggage compartment.

How many inspection visits do you carry out each year, and do you have workload reports?

We certainly have in place a schedule for

DCAA Interview

Our mission is to inspect aircraft and grant permits to allow entry of aircraft parts while ensuring a high quality and efficient performance.

Abdulla Al Hamadi

Khaled Jaafar

field visit plans in coordination with GCAA. We also have annual reports in relation to the our inspection work load, taking into consideration that we have about 120 operators or airlines registered in Dubai and operating through Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport. All operators are subject to oversight and inspection.

How do you evaluate your work?

I personally find it enjoyable and there is nothing called difficult. Field work in the capacity of an aircraft inspector allows me to be informed of many different aspects of an aircraft and the airport, which broadens my perspective in the aviation field, thanks to which we have become a reference for development, as we are always requested to provide our opinions and recommendations for development in this field of work.

It is true that we have a large number of operators and aircrafts to inspect, but we are able to cope with our operations thanks to the work plan we have in place.

In 2016, we have conducted 85 field visits and inspected a total of 230 foreign aircrafts, compared to 98 visits and 250 inspections in 2017. In 2018, we have conducted 109 field visits to Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport and inspected a total of 270 foreign aircraft.

What are the challenges you encounter, if any?

Our team has a huge responsibility and comes under heavy pressure, but we overcome this challenge by organising all our tasks and responsibilities, and devising suitable plans to strike a balance between administrative work and field inspections. In addition, we continually examine our processes and work style to develop the employee work system in a way that would enable the team to cope with increasing work load.

What do you expect to happen at Dubai airports due to Dubai Airshow 2019 and Expo 2020, and what are your preparations for this most important global event in the region?

Based on the significance of these two global events to be hosted by Dubai, namely Dubai Airshow 2019, the largest of its kind in the world, and Expo 2020, which will be held for the first time ever in the MENASA region, there will surely be an increase in the number of flights to Dubai, and this will lead into an increase in air traffic and airport operations.

We expect more aircraft parts and components to be imported, and eventually an increased demand by airlines and cargo companies on requesting NOCs for these services, which will increase our workload.

Therefore, we are already working on devising a coordinated work plan to ensure the ability to scale our operations and prevent any issues or delays that may prevent us from accomplishing our duties

We are currently looking into recommendations and developing plans that would allow us to absorb the additional workload due to the increased pressure on air traffic resulting from Expo 2020 Khaled Jaafar

at an optimum level, while also looking to ensure the success of these two events in a manner that is beffiting of the reputation of Dubai and that of the DCAA. We expect to have a high pressure work environment during this period.

Our section is continually improving and the management is encouraging us to innovate and propose ideas and suggestions. There are many employees who have numerous ideas and suggestions, and we expect, in our capacity as a section involved in issuing NOCs to witness an increase in the scope of our operations in the future.

Work Experience: Khaled Jaafar is currently employed by DCAA as an Aircraft Oversight Inspector, having earlier served with the same authority as Senior Accident Inspector since 2010. Prior to this, he worked since 2000 in the Security and Safety Department of Dubai Airports.

Khaled Jaafar holds a Diploma in Management Leadership, and has had a number of civil aviation training courses and received certificates accredited by international organisations, such as ICAO and IATA, and other organisations specializing in the field of aviation.

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Cover Story

Robust Rise

Dubai is readying itself to host the 16th Airshow from November 17, with over 1,200 exhibitors from 63 countries participating.

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n industry’s robust health and vibrancy is best reflected in success of exhibitions and B2B platforms. The aerospace industry has been maintaining its success, even in the challenging times of global economic hardships and resultant spending cuts.

Dubai is readying itself to host the 2019 edition of the trademark aerospace show which according to Michele van Akelijen, Managing Director of its organisers, Tarsus F&E Middle East, is where “the sector comes to do business with incredible and unmatched deals, innovations and ideas.”

“Dubai Airshow gives the region the ability to do business without having to travel to Europe,”she adds.

Tarsus F&E Middle East acquired F&E Aerospace in 2007. After being held at the Dubai International Airport for 12 times, the 16th edition will be held for the fourth time at the DWC Exhibition Centre from November 17, for five days. This year’s Airshow is coming at a time when the aerospace sector continues to enjoy strong growth.

The Boeing Market Outlook (BMO) talks about a US$3.1 trillion projected

demand for commercial airplanes through 2028. It also projects US$2.5 trillion of space opportunities during the next decade.

The growing passenger volumes and increasing airplane retirements will drive the need for 44,040 new jets, valued at US$6.8 trillion over the next two decades. By 2034, the passenger and freighter aircraft fleets in the Middle East region alone will almost treble to over 2,950, valued at US$660 billion.

The UAE is establishing itself as a regional hub for civil and commercial space activities. The UAE’s investments in space technologies exceed US$5.4 billion.

The UAE Space Agency has undertaken an initiative to build an unmanned probe spacecraft that will orbit the Red Planet by 2021, along with building in the year 2117 the

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Cover Story

first city on Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System after Mercury.

The UAE is focusing on advanced aerospace structure and composite part manufacturing facilities and capabilities. The UAE is home to two aerospace clusters.

Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in co-operation with Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports and the UAE Armed Forces, the Airshow is all set to surpass the overwhelming success it had at the last event which drew 1,200 exhibitors from 63 countries to strike game-changing deals.

The Airshow will have 165 aircraft in the static park along with having over 280 official delegations, up from 279 delegations from 76 countries in 2017.

The Airshow will feature National Pavilions which will see the representation from multiple companies from Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Turkey, UK, Ukraine and the US. The other pavilions will focus on Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) and Smart Manufacturing along with the new additions: Airport Solutions Dubai, Space Pavilion and Cargo Connect. Five conferences based around these topics will also take place.

The Space Pavilion will feature Dubai Airports Engineering projects (DAEP) which has ambitious plans for Al Maktoum International to become a ‘cosmic super-port’ handling hypersonic and space aircraft in the future.

Airport Solutions Dubai will focus on disruptors to the industry including biometrics, AI, Blockchain, Robotics, IoT and Big Data. At Cargo Connect, participants will debate the way

forward for the air cargo’s growth whose global market size is projected to reach US$ 135.9 billion Freight Tonne Kilometres (FTK) by 2025.

Saudi companies attending include GDC Middle East, Advanced Electronics Company (AEC), Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC), Saudi Aerospace Company (SAC) and Saudia Aerospace & Engineering Industries (SAEI).

New exhibitors include Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), Dnipro, the Ukraine-based space technology development company and Yuzhnoye State Design Office.

The companies that will be exhibiting at the Airshow include AAL Group (Airfreight Aviation Limited), Abu Dhabi Aviation, AIME 2020, Air BP, Airline CXO Summit, Airlink International, Airport Solutions Dubai, Airports World Company, Al Jundi Journal, Alatus Aerosystems, Aura Group, Chevron and Dar Al Handasah.

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UAE in Focus

Emirates reshuffles top management

EK begins ‘cannibalizing’ A380s

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mirates, the world’s largest international airline, has reshuffled its top management team. Adel Al Redha is taking up the position as Chief Operating Officer (COO) while Adnan Kazim has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

Sheikh Majid Al Mualla is the new Divisional Senior Vice President of International Affairs. Adel will drop his Executive Vice President role Emirates which he had held since 2013. He will only serve as the COO of the company formed in 1985.

The CCO position has been empty ever since Thierry Antinori left the Dubai-

T based airline in May 2019. Adnan Kazim served as the interim CCO and will now serve as the long-term CCO with the task of managing commercial operations.

Sheikh Majid, previously Divisional Senior Vice President at the Commercial Operations Centre, has been shifted to International Affairs and will be responsible for the agenda of EK’s policy, environment and international affairs.

GCAS trained over 50,000 in 10 years

The Center’s training facilities are in Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi.

Since its foundation in 2009, GCAS has grown and advanced in leaps and bounds, becoming the entire region’s foremost destination for airport and aviation training. A year after opening, GCAS was selected by the Airports Council International (ACI) as a new training hub for the Middle East.

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Instead of being sold into a used market for the A380, which has never developed, they will be ‘cannibalized’ to provide spare parts for the remaining fleet, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airlines told FlightGlobal.

“We are in the process of [starting A380 retirements]. Two have been deactivated. They are under retirement. It is best to take the old aircraft out – they’re all written down – and take the gear off them rather than buy a US$25 million main landing gear.”

This may be both an economic and practical measure, as the A380 production line is set to close in 2021. Emirates is by far the world’s largest A380 operator.

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he Gulf Center for Aviation Studies (GCAS), the training arm of Abu Dhabi Airports, is ten years old now and is considered a leader in airport and aviation training. Over its first decade, it has trained more than 50,000 students from all sectors of the aviation industry from the UAE and globally.

he Airbus A380 hasn’t even been in service for 12 years, but even its biggest advocate, Emirates Airlines, is already preparing for its demise. EK says it will fly the A380 through 2035, but a pair of A380s have already been removed from the service.

In 2011, it became the first aviation training center to be certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the world’s first ‘TRAINAIR PLUS’ member. The Center was selected as the Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE)

by ICAO in 2014. By 2015, it was recognized for delivering the most shared and validated TRAINAIR PLUS Standardized Training Packages (STPs) than any other center worldwide. This year, it was recognized as the best performing ACI training center in the Asia-Pacific Region.

The airline currently has 112 of the 500-plus-seat behemoths in its fleet. Emirates has ordered 123 of the aircraft, almost half of the 250 that Airbus will deliver before the programme shuts down.

UAE in Focus

IndiGo starts daily Amritsar-Sharjah flights

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udget carrier IndiGo, the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 48.1 percent domestic market share as of June, is starting a daily flight on the Amritsar-Sharjah route from the first day of October.

This will be IndiGo’s second flight from Amritsar connecting a destination in the UAE, after the launch of the flight to Dubai last year. It will be the first airline to provide direct connectivity between Amritsar and Sharjah.

The northern Indian state of Punjab where the city of Golden Temple is located, has been working towards

increasing industrialization and investment. The direct connections with UAE will not only enhance mobility but also promote trade opportunities between the two regions.

As the UAE finalises its plans for a mega food park in Punjab, increased

connectivity will be an enabler for channelizing the business potential into commercial opportunities. With more than half of the share of total passengers carried, IndiGo is the domestic market leader leaving rivals including SpiceJet and Vistara far behind.

Abu Dhabi is SalamAir’s 20th destination

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n line with its regional destination expansion plans, SalamAir launched a new route between Muscat and Abu-Dhabi.

The new service leverages the growth of tourism and business travel between Sultanate of Oman and the UAE. Abu Dhabi became SalamAir’s sixth destination in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC) after direct flights to Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Kuwait City, in addition to the direct flights between Abu-Dhabi and Salalah.

SalamAir will fly four times a week to Abu-Dhabi. Between July 2 and September 7, Salam Air operated three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Salalah, a popular holiday destination on

the southern coast of Oman. The new addition is part of SalamAir’s ambitious expansion plan, which will double the number of A320neo’s in its fleet by the end of 2019, as well as increase its network to 29.

The airline currently operates flights to 20 destinations, including Dubai. It also operates domestic routes to Muscat, Salalah, and Sohar.

Summer rush at Abu Dhabi airport

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he Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) welcomed over 4.5 million passengers during the summer months, demonstrating the facility’s popularity with travellers heading to and leaving the UAE capital city, as the airport seeks to offer a wide range of attractive routes, smooth operational efficiency and high customer satisfaction.

During the summer period, the top five destinations that saw the highest share of traffic through the airport were: London, Delhi, Bombay, Cairo and Cochin, which together processed 900,104 passengers between these cities and airport.

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Special Report

Digitalization delights

Indoor digitalization, argues a whitepaper, is the best choice for providing 5G coverage in airports

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irports are now marketing, technology and economic hubs generating aviation and non-aviation revenues and contributing to the economy. They are smart cities in miniature as they combine multiple stakeholders: airlines, retailers and advertisers, passengers, transport companies and security companies, each working with different goals and specific needs.

Each of the stakeholders has used technologies specific to their own needs, including connectivity.

However, there are now several

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reasons requiring a connectivity platform to be consistent across the airport. Huawei, a Chinese multinational technology company,

and the Europe-based ABI Research, have jointly come out with a whitepaper, Digital Future of Airports, elaborating on the

Special Report

enhanced connectivity capabilities as they adapt to new technologies. These include ultra-high speed, large-scale connectivity, security and efficiency, mobility and scalability. Currently, wireless network technologies utilized by airports include cellular networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Project 25 (P25). Considering factors such as performance, cost, and the support for future technology, 5G differentiates itself by essentially supporting the construction of digital airports and solving network connection challenges.

roles of 5G and mobile broadband (MBB) in supporting digital airports.

According to the white paper, indoor digitalization is the only way for indoor transition to 5G and the best choice for providing 5G coverage in airports.

The study noted that an expanding middle class, increased competition between airlines, affordable pricing, and lower overall travel costs, such as accommodations is leading to more air traffic. It pointed out how airports, as transportation hubs, are the industry trend-setters for digital transformation.

Due to rapidly increasing passenger traffic and the emergence of new services, airport networks require

It says the digital indoor system offers both large-capacity and scalability, delivers premium experiences, and adequately supports the transition to 5G. It has already been deployed at numerous large airports around the world.

5G is gaining more industry-wide acknowledgment due to its ability to support digital airports. As the industry plans for future-oriented wireless networks, the digital indoor system provides the most effective way for operators to construct indoor 5G networks, it argued.

The whitepaper says consumers are now expecting digital engagement and personalized experiences in airports.

Digitization is a multi-faceted tool and creating a better experience for customers can expand airports’ revenue with non-aviation services, such as retail and food.

Consumers are now expecting digital engagement and personalized experiences in airports The study says airports are becoming the test-beds for new technologies, including passenger identification systems, sensor and barcode reading devices, automated border control systems, biometric systems, mobile apps, sensors, and connected cameras.

A major technology trend is also electrification, with Electric Vehicles (EVs) vital to reducing the carbon footprint of airports. Connected sensors are increasingly used throughout the airport in security check points, retail areas, and baggage reclaim.

The whitepaper says physical security and cybersecurity in a congested environment with millions of connected objects and passengers is an increasing priority.

According to the ACI Europe, an average 20 per cent of total airport operating costs are related to security, with a large percentage of airport staff working on securityrelated activities. Automation, it argued, is essential to increasing speed, efficiency, and quality of applications and processes.

Currently, airports use a plethora of connectivity technologies to connect passengers, devices, systems, and aircraft. Many of these are legacy technologies that, in many cases, rely on obsolete technologies. Airports have traditionally relied on public networks to connect consumers, often through dense microcell deployments or even Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) deployed throughout the venue.

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Special Report

Count till the last straw

Airports and airlines are increasingly coming together to stop the single-use plastic pollution

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nvented more than 110 years ago, plastic has shaped every aspect of our daily lives as a cheap and durable material, but a whopping 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic pollution produced globally since 1950 – particularly the single-use kind – ravaged the planet. Each plastic bag, on average, is used for 12 minutes and yet takes up to 1,000 years to decompose.

No wonder, every year, over 1.1 million birds and animals are killed by plastic pollution. As many as 127 countries have adopted legislations to regulate plastic, but the UNEP and the World Resources Institute (WRI) finds “surging momentum” for addressing harmful single-use products and for controlling the manufacture, use and disposal of plastic products.

Relatively late, but key aviation industry players like airports and airlines are increasingly joining the bandwagon to recognise the harmful impact of single-use plastic - knives, forks, bags and straws - on the fragile environment. Shoppers worldwide use about 500 billion single-use plastic bags annually roughly 150 bags every person on Earth, according to the non-profit group Ocean Crusaders Strung endto-end, that’s enough plastic to circle the globe 4200 times.

They say 27 countries have enacted some type of ban on single-use plastics like plates, cups and plastic bags, while plastic is completely banned in 32 countries. Influential US magazine, Time, asks in

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September 2019: “How do we even begin to change a global culture of instant gratification consumerism for the sake of our planet and our future generations?”

The aviation industry has also jumped into the fray relatively late, but is catching up fast. Airports are contributing their part to plastic pollution, with an estimated 5,000 tonnes of plastic waste alone being thrown away at airport security each year in the UK airports alone.

Gatwick has become the first airport to achieve a ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ accreditation. The airport recycles all plastic bottles.

Heathrow also have accessible bottle refill stations across its four terminals.

San Francisco International Airport became the first in the US to prohibit the sale of single-serve water bottles in a far-fetched goal to become the first zero-waste airport in the world by 2021.

The ban includes purified water, carbonated or sparkling water, mineral water and electrolyteenhanced water. Passenger activity at the airport generates 28 million pounds of waste annually. Delhi International Airport is working to be free of single-use plastic items by 2019-end.

Special Report

Dubai Airports, from next year, will ban single-use plastics, including knives, forks, bags and straws. The importance of this move cannot be overstated.

The world’s biggest airport for international travellers takes a significant world player to set an example for others to follow. Dubai International recycles 43,000 tonnes of paper, glass and other waste each year. Dubai Airports will be working with all of its concession and hospitality partners to achieve the goal.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has accorded that single-use plastic free status to 75 airports in the world’s second-most populous country, now on the threshold of being the world’s third largest aviation market. Al Maktoum International also announced plans to ban plastic cutlery and shopping bags from January 2020. The average UAE resident uses 1,182 plastic bags per year – triple the global average.

In 2016 alone, airline passengers generated 5.2 million tonnes of waste (including plastics), most of which went to landfill or incineration, according to the IATA. Now, airlines are racing to cut down the usage of single-use plastic items.

The world’s first plastic-free flight took to the skies last year by Hi Fly, a

Portuguese airline that also replaced plastic cutlery and containers with bamboo and compostable alternatives. Iberia Airlines aims to recover 80 per cent of cabin waste coming into Madrid’s Barajas airport by mid-2020 through measures like reusable cutlery.

United Airlines has switched to compostable paper cups. Ryanair plans to eliminate all non-recyclable plastics within the next five years.

Etihad Airways has made its ultralong-haul flight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane free from any single-use plastics. It replaced most of the 95 single-use plastic products used on its aircraft with eco-friendly alternatives, keeping 110 pounds of plastic out of landfill. The flight is part of Etihad’s plan to reduce its single-use plastics by 80 percent by 2022.

According to a report in Vox, in a single year, airlines toss 9,000 tonnes of plastic, enough aluminium cans to build 58 new Boeing 747s, and enough newspapers and magazines to engulf a football field 230 meters deep.

Even duty free facilities too joined the bandwagon. According to Swiss firm Duty Free Innovation (DFI), up to 10 billion single-use plastic bags are used in the duty free industry every year, with only a small percentage being recycled or re-used. Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has committed to removing all single-use plastics from its operations by 2020.

Dubai Airports, from next year, will ban single-use plastics, including knives, forks, bags and straws.

The importance of this move cannot be overstated.

The proliferation of single-use plastic is accelerating climate change, according to the UK-based Centre for International Environmental Law. By 2050, plastic will be responsible for up to 13 percent of the total “carbon budget” – equivalent to 615 coal-fired power plants.

Throwaway plastic packaging makes up 40 percent of the demand for plastic, fuelling a boom in production from two million tonnes in the 1950s to 380 million tonnes in 2015.

By the end of 2015, 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic had been produced – two-thirds of which has been released into the environment and remains there. In 2019, the lifecycle of global plastic production – from extraction to disposal – was equivalent to the impact on the climate of 189 500MW coal-fired power stations. By 2050, the report predicts, the global plastic footprint will be equivalent to 615 coal plants running at full capacity, The Guardian reported.

October 2019

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Special Report

Miles High Connectivity The number of aircraft with In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) will reach 21,000 by 2026

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he first airlines to roll out Wi-Fi in 2008 were American, Delta, and Virgin America. The following year, Virgin surveyed its frequent flyers and found that for the majority of them, Wi-Fi availability would influence their choice of airline.

By 2010, more than 750 commercial US airplanes — roughly 30 percent of the domestic fleet — were outfitted with either 3G cellular service or satellite delivery systems, providing massive bandwidth for downloading movies or sending emails by passengers.

passenger survey reveals that more than two-thirds of the passengers would use Wi-Fi if offered on board a flight. And an APEX passenger experience study indicated that 90 percent of passengers would give up other amenities to have a better inflight internet experience.

Next year, as many as 1,100 airplanes—totalling 4,000 flights carrying an average of 500,000 passengers—were plying their way over America while carrying Wi-Fi gear.

It was Oman Air which, in March 2010, became the first airline in the world to offer both mobile and broadband internet on board its flights.

This trend is growing as media consumption habits continue to evolve in the digital age and passengers have access to a higher quality broadband experience.

Leveraging this expectation, airlines offer inflight connectivity among their extra amenities on commercial flights.

By 2015, 72 airlines had already installed passenger connectivity systems on board, and the number of connected commercial aircraft is expected to grow to reach 62 per cent of the global fleet.

In January 2017, JetBlue became the world’s first airline to provide free, high-speed Wi-Fi for every passenger on every aircraft.

Today, inflight internet access has been on an upward growth and as commonplace as inflight magazines.

Travellers today not only want, but expect, consistent and faster inflight connections, according to a Honeywell survey on inflight Wi-Fi. Inflight connectivity is fast becoming a catalyst for change in day-to-day airline operations and connected aircraft have redefined the way airlines operate. An IATA global

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October 2019

In 2017, there were over 56 airlines that offered Wi-Fi as a service.

Routehappy Wi-Fi Report 2018 says 82 airlines worldwide now offer in-flight Wi-Fi, a 17 percent increase over the previous year. The top three airlines that offer the most available seat miles (ASM) with Wi-Fi are Delta, American, and Emirates, respectively. The three carriers that now offer Wi-Fi on 100 percent of their flights are Icelandair, Southwest and Virgin Atlantic. Emirates Airlines

offer 20 MB of free Wi-Fi on all flights and Dubai has the fastest airport Wi-Fi in the world, with zero black spots, according to Splunk.

An Inmarsat study says when passengers get on a plane they want the same fast mobile broadband they get on the ground – and they want it on the smartphones, tablets and laptops they have with them. Inflight connectivity is going to be among the most transformative technologies for airline passengers in the coming years.

An increasing numbers of carriers are signing up for high-speed internet services, the customers can expect an online experience comparable to what they receive at home.

Many carriers still charge for access, although many provide it free to premium customers or for a certain period of time.

Connectivity will improve massively as Inmarsat, a British satellite telecommunications company with thirteen geostationary telecommunications satellites, is launching three satellites in the coming few years, while Viasat, another global provider of highspeed satellite broadband services, is planning three more satellites as it targets global coverage by 2022.

Special Report

Almost four in ten commercial aircraft, globally, were equipped to provide passengers with inflight Wi-Fi, according to an analysis of the Inflight Connectivity (IFC) market.

Valour Consultancy anticipates the number of aircraft with IFC will reach almost 21,000 by the end of 2026, up from over 7,500 now. Markets like North America and the Middle East, together, accounts for 70 percent of all connected aircraft today. It has been forecast 60 percent of IFC installations that occur in 2026 will be line-fits, a far cry from 2010 when IFC was a near 100 percent retrofit market.

There will be IFC installations on 1,100-1,400 aircraft annually for the next five years, after which there will be a shift to upgrades.

NSR forecasts the inflight connectivity (IFC) will be a US$36 billion market over the next decade.

Revenue streams for airlines and advertisers from in-flight Wi-Fi could generate US$5.2 billion in the Middle East by 2035. Airlines would account for US$1.3 billion of the revenues, according to the findings of UK-listed satellite firm Inmarsat Aviation and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Inmarsat estimates in-flight broadband could reach a US$130 billion global market by 2035, with the Middle East region taking six percent chunk of the global market as the regional airlines are seeking to maximise their revenues amid tough competition and tighter margins.

The Middle East has the highest volume of multi-device usage in all regions surveyed, with 66 per cent of inflight connectivity users connecting more than one device.

Passengers believe that inflight Wi-Fi is a necessity and no longer a luxury.

Airlines are investing heavily in the latest satellite broadband and connectivity technologies in order to meet growing passenger expectations for fast, reliable and consistent WiFi digital services on any aircraft, anywhere in the world.

By 2020, an estimated 12,500 aircraft – half of the world’s fleet – will be connected. A report says huge demand from passengers for Internet connection inside flights is among the major reasons behind the growing demand for inflight connectivity solutions, especially for long duration flights.

October 2019

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Middle East

Gulf airlines eye Montenegro flights

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ontenegro, a Balkan country with rugged mountains, medieval villages and a narrow strip of beaches along its Adriatic coastline, is now on the radars of Arabian Gulf airlines to start new flights.

According to reports, several carriers are considering introducing flights to either Podgorica or Tivat airports in the coming period. Airports of Montenegro officials remarked that there has been a significant interest from Arab countries.

Montenegro will be much better connected next year through its airports, especially to markets it has been unable to cover till now.

Saudi Arabia to start work on Al Jouf Airport

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ork on Al Jouf International Airport in Saudi Arabia on a 4.7 hectares site is scheduled to begin in September, with construction on the facility set to last for two years. The Kingdom’s state news agency, SPA, said the officials have reviewed the final development design of the airport during a meeting where the President of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Abdulhadi Al Mansouri was present. Al Jouf International Airport project is part of the Unified Model Projects, approved

man Air which started in 1993 with a wet-leased Boeing 737-300 from Muscat to Salalah, has unveiled its Transformation Plan with an empowered focus to deliver continuous progress.

The airline, which started its first international flight to Dubai in 1993, has prepared the plans over several months after taking company-wide inputs to meet the future challenges.

The national carrier of Sultanate improved performance in 2019.

Transformation Plan includes specific matters such as fleet harmonization,

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October 2019

The terminal will have a total capacity of one million passengers per year.

Al Jouf currently comprises a small domestic airport with an area of 2,900 square meters, with a capacity of 175,000 passengers per annum.

Muscat airport now in global Top 15

Oman Air unveils its transformation plan

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by GACA as a pattern for the construction of numerous airports in the country. The airport will include an airside building spanning 2.2 hectares and a 2.3 hectares passenger terminal.

The development also entails the construction of 14 parking bays.

organizational restructuring and increased digital transformation.

The Transformation Plan is committed to steer the airline to reach the planned goals by 2023. The airline currently operates direct international flights from Muscat to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Madina, and Kuwait, in the Gulf region, as well as Cairo, Amman, Tehran, Mashhad, Najaf, Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam within the wider Middle East/ Africa region.

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uscat International Airport has proved its mettle after it was declared the 14th best International Airport globally in terms of service quality by the Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports with 646 members operating 1,960 airports in 176 countries.

According to Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC), the airport managed to leap to the 14th spot internationally from among 371 airports, compared to when it was in the 74th spot among airports of its kind.

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October 2019

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Airports

Brussels to accept Lelystad airport plan

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he European Commission (EC) appears to now back plans to open Lelystad airport in the centre of The Netherlands to commercial traffic, allowing flights to be divided between it and Schiphol. According to broadcaster NOS, the EC MemberStates have voted in favour of the plan, as long as airlines agree themselves to go to Lelystad.

Newark is the worst US airport for delayed flights

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he Newark Liberty International Airport has been ranked as the worst in the US for having the highest share of flights that were delayed for over 15 minutes or cancelled, according to air-passenger rights company AirHelp.

Only 64 percent of flights departed Newark on time.

Passengers looking to travel to or from the Big Apple won’t do much better flying out of other New York City-area airports.

LaGuardia Airport’s on-time performance rate was only 66 percent, the third-worst in the nation just behind Chicago O’Hare International Airport’s 65 percent.

The EC first rejected the plans as the proposals rule out autonomous growth at Lelystad and disadvantaged other airlines who would be forced to make the move.

Transavia, a KLM subsidiary, is willing to go to Lelystad. Easyjet and TUI have said they will not move. Another key criteria for Brussels is the

Kerala airports to have 39 new domestic services

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p to 39 new domestic services will commence from airports in the southern Indian state of Kerala whose expatriates form the largest number of expatriates in the Arabian Gulf, especially the UAE. This emerged after a meeting held by the top government officials and CEOs of various airline companies.

October 2019

The airline operators informed the state government that they are ready to start operating new domestic services.

Out of the 39 new domestic services, 23 of them will be from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Air India and Vistara will have one new service each, Air Asia will have seven new services, Spice Jet will have eight and the highest number services will be offered by GoAir with 22 new ones. While Indigo is looking to operate three new services, it will be subject to a decision on Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) tax.

Ireland launch public consultation on regional airports

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reland has launched a public consultation on the future of its regional airports. It aims to replace the current Regional Airports Programme (RAP), which has been running since 2015 and finishes this year.

RAP’s purpose is to ensure that economically and socially beneficial, but financially unviable, air connectivity can be provided to the country’s more isolated regions.

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availability of good public transport between the two airports.

The launch of the review comes just weeks after the publication of a spending review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

According to a CAPA-Centre of Aviation report, Ireland has more of regional airports than most, for its small population, but they consistently live in the shadow of Dublin Airport, which punches well over its weight.

MRO

Dassault Aviation on MRO acquisition spree

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assault Group subsidiary Dassault Aviation has completed its acquisition of TAG Aviation’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organization to expand the company’s worldwide service centre network.

The new organization has been named TAG Maintenance Services (TMS) and is operated as a wholly owned Dassault Aviation affiliate. The French group acquired all TAG maintenance operations, including its service centres in Geneva, Farnborough, Le Bourget,

Lisbon and its satellite facilities in Luton and Moscow. The company will continue servicing all aircraft types it supported previously.

The TAG purchase is part of an ongoing effort by Dassault Aviation to broaden its global service footprint.

Since the beginning of the year, it has also announced the acquisition of 11 MRO facilities operated by ExecuJet, along with RUAG business aviation operations in Geneva and Lugano, Switzerland.

The RUAG MRO operations will be integrated into TAG Maintenance Services. Both have a large presence in Geneva, a major hub for business aviation in Europe.

DAE obtains EASA approval for Boeing 777

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ubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), one of the world’s top aircraft leasing company, and Amman-based MRO Joramco has obtained the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part-145 approval for the Boeing 777.

This is the fourth EASA approval obtained by Joramco since its acquisition by the DAE, following the earlier EASA approvals for the Boeing 737 MAX, the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 787.

Joramco currently holds 12 aircrafttype approvals from EASA, including five Airbus, five Boeing, and two Embraer approvals.

The addition of this approval further supports DAE’s ambition to continue to build a successful and meaningful service provider in the region. The Boeing 777 is a highly popular long-haul aircraft, both regionally as well as globally.

The Middle East’s largest airplane lessor reported its total revenue in the first half of 2019 reaching US$727 million.

It has raised an additional US$490 million from three loan agreements to fund its growth plans. DAE delivered and committed to deliver US$1.1 billion in aircraft assets during the first half of 2019 as it expanded its portfolio.

The airplane lessor grew its portfolio of managed assets to 51 aircraft valued at US$1.3 billion in the first six months compared to 40 jets in the same period last year.

China Cargo signs 747F MRO contract

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hanghai-based China Cargo Airlines has signed a five-year MRO contract with Lufthansa Technik (LHT). This LHT’s first major contract with China Cargo and covers the carrier’s three 747-400Fs. The contract is for LHT’s Total Component Support service, which includes component overhaul and engineering services, and allows the airline to access LHT’s spare parts inventory pool around the world.

LHT will also provide support to China Cargo through a home base lease at the carrier’s hub in Shanghai (PVG). China Cargo Airlines’ fleet consists of three 747-400Fs and six 777Fs.

October 2019

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Opinion

Priority for innovation in aviation security F

or the Airports Council International (ACI) and its members in all regions, innovation in aviation security is a priority.

Threats against civil aviation requires proactive mitigation measures, supported by effective risk assessments. As threats and risk change quickly, both industry and government face challenges trying to implement effective security measures in a timely manner. There are areas where significant opportunities exist within the control of national authorities to address airport security challenges and encourage a climate of innovation.

demand. NEXTT will define how technology and advanced processes can deliver the needed service and capacity enhancements to the entire ground journey.

First, by making national aviation security rules less prescriptive.

Second, by conducting impact assessments and consulting with industry. Third, by including clauses in regulation that allow for new technology trials. And fourth, by reviewing the way technology is certified and approved for use, particularly through the development of an industry standard. The ACI will present its position on security and innovation at the 40th Triennial ICAO Assembly this month.

Best practices for remote image processing were also developed

by Smart Security, drawing on experience from early adopters around the world. Developing technologies such as Explosive Detection Systems for cabin baggage (EDS-CB), including 3D screening using Computed Tomography (CT), are also being studied to help further development and adoption.

The ACI, along with its members and industry partners, is working on innovative solutions in the area of aviation security and facilitation.

The ACI-IATA joint initiative called New Experience Travel Technologies (NEXTT) brings together concepts and ideas that will transform the passenger and cargo journey to best fit and cater for tomorrow’s

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A project that falls under the NEXTT umbrella is ACI’s Smart Security programme. Smart Security identifies innovative solutions, shares best practices and drives change in passenger and baggage screening. Many of the automated solutions we see at checkpoints today such as automated tray return systems and parallel loading were solutions proposed by Smart Security.

The ACI has recently launched a revamp of the Smart Security programme, which will consider not only technology and processes available today, but will also look to the future with a new long-term vision. We will re-think the way that we view airport and aviation security and will look to encompass technologies that we see on the horizon.

Angela Gittens Director General Airports Council International (ACI World)

Opinion

Let’s live up to the legacy A

s IATA celebrates the 75th anniversary of Chicago Convention in December, I believe air transport has become the ‘Business of Freedom’, liberating us to pursue our dreams and fulfil our hopes.

The benefits of all of the aviationenabled activity are massive. The US is the world’s largest single aviation market. It contributes US$779 billion to GDP, including aviation-supported tourism, according to our analysis. And with the right policies and infrastructure, these benefits could reach approximately US$1.26 trillion in GDP contribution in the next 20 years.

We will likely never know whether the visionaries who assembled in Chicago in 1944 conceived of the central role that aviation would come to play in our daily lives.

How can we continue to live up to their legacy? I believe we must be guided by some core principles: we must be environmentally sustainable; we must work with governments to ensure a policy framework that encourages competition and innovation and we must be supported by infrastructure that is efficient and affordable.

Today environmental sustainability is the greatest challenge to our industry’s license to spread the benefits of air connectivity. We have redoubled our resolve to address our climate change impacts

by capping emissions from 2020 and cutting them to half of 2005 levels by 2050. Raising airline costs reduces the industry’s ability to invest in more efficient aircraft and ground equipment. I have yet to see any aviation environmental tax actually being used to help reduce aviation’s environmental impacts.

We are now moving forward on our interim goal of capping net CO2 emissions through carbon-neutral growth. CORSIA is expected to mitigate around 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 and generate over US$40 billion in climate finance between 2021 and 2035.

Alexandre de Juniac Director General & CEO International Air Transport Association (IATA)

We are mapping the way to our 2050 target. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will play a huge role.

Reaching two percent SAF use by 2025 would be a tipping point on the flightpath to mass adoption.

Major advances in airframes and propulsion systems and development of all-electric and hybrid-electric aircraft, will also play a big part in cutting the emissions in half by 2050.

It will also require operational improvements and greater efficiency from air navigation services providers (ANSPs). We require governments to support these efforts, not make them more difficult.

Excerpts from the speech at the Wings of Change Americas Conference in Chicago

October 2019

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Airlines

Asiana Airlines up for sale

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hree serious bids have been received for the sale of a major stake in the loss-making Asiana Airlines. In the running are Aekyung Group, owners of Jeju Air, a consortium led by Mirae Asset and an activist fund, KGCI, which has a stake in Korean Air Lines.

The South Korea’s second largest carrier has been up for grabs since 2018, when its main creditor, Korea Development Bank, demanded the carrier secure liquidity through the sale of assets and other means. Since then, Asiana’s owners, Kumho Asiana, has been looking for investors to take a share of the airline in order to raise funds.

The owners are looking to sell a 31 percent stake, currently held by Kumho Industrial Company. Budget carrier Air Seoul which is wholly owned by the airline has been bundled into the deal, as well as Air Busan, which it also owns 46 percent. Asiana’s losses widened in the first half of the year to US$241 million, up from US$35 million last year.

Vietnam Airlines licensed for direct US flights

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ietnam Airlines has become the first carrier in the Southeast Asian country to secure a coveted license to fly direct to the US. The approval has been sought by Vietnamese carriers eager to exploit a fast-growing market for air travel among Vietnam’s booming middle class.

Domestic and regional air travel has mushroomed among Vietnamese travellers, and carriers are hoping the market will extend to US travel too.

Vietnam Airlines has been licensed to fly from Hanoi and the southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Dallas, according to a regulatory filing from the US Department of Transportation obtained by AFP.

Ethiopian increase flights to China to 50 per week

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thiopian Airlines is adding flights between its African hub and Chinese cities and plans to add direct flights between Addis Ababa and Tokyo.

Its CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told Nikkei the carrier will increase its weekly flights between the Ethiopian capital and Chinese cities to 50, up from 35. The expansion is aimed at meeting the increasing demand for flights to Africa from Chinese businesspeople, investors and tourists.

The airline also plans to beef up its Japan services by connecting Tokyo with Addis Ababa seven times a week by 2021.

It currently offers the service five times a week, with a transfer in Seoul. The new service will be direct and use Tokyo’s Haneda Airport rather than the current Narita Airport, in Chiba Prefecture.

Ethiopian Airlines flies to 60 cities in more than 40 countries and uses Addis Ababa Bole International Airport as its hub.

Mesa Airlines places 100 Mitsubishi SpaceJet orders

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he regional US-based Mesa Airlines has placed an order for 100 Mitsubishi SpaceJet aircraft.

The Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation signed a MoU with the airline for 50 firm orders and the purchase rights of a further 50 aircraft, also known

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as ‘options’, of the SpaceJet M100.

This order nearly doubles the current amount of aircraft in its fleet of 145, which include Canadair Regional Jet and Embraer 175s. zIf the deal is finalized, the airline will own three of the best jets in regional travel in an order which will cost them US$3.74 billion.

ATM

NASA completes ATC system for drones

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ighways in the sky are one step closer to becoming reality as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began conducting the final planned tests of its traffic management system for unmanned drones.

ensure smooth flight paths. Testing the cloud-based system’s capabilities in windy urban areas l is one of the biggest remaining obstacles before drone traffic oversight can be transferred from NASA to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Being tested in Corpus Christi in Texas, the system would act like air traffic control for drones, tracking them to help avoid collisions and

Since 2015, NASA researchers, together with industry partners, have been developing a cloud-based software system to ensure safe drone

Pakistan installs new high-tech radars

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akistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has installed nine stateof-the-art, high-tech radars for boosting its speed and accuracy in detecting the undesirable intrusions into the airspace of the Islamic republic. The upgraded radar systems have been installed

at Allama Iqbal International Airport—Lahore, Jinnah International Airport—Karachi, Islamabad International Airport—in the capital city and at the critical locations throughout Baluchistan.

The newly installed radars are made in the Czech Republic and Spain. They support the central air traffic management systems of the main airport facilities at Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

Poland plans to train 400 controllers for new hub airport

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ANSA, the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) of the Central European republic of Poland is working to train 400 air traffic controllers for the new Solidarność airport. The airport will have a capacity of 45 million passengers

flights. This UTM is supposed to automatize air traffic control below 400 feet. This will supplement the FAA’s existing systems, responsible for 5,000 daily airplane flights, which could not feasibly monitor the 7 million drones forecasted to be in use by 2020.

per year when it opens, and could be enlarged to a 100 million.

The construction will take eight years.

The current Warsaw Chopin Airport received 15.7 million of passengers in 2017 and is close to saturation.

Being located in a residential area, it cannot be expanded to meet the coming needs of Poland’s growing economy.

At the planned opening in 2027, the 3000 hectare hub is planned to be almost a third larger than Frankfurt Airport.

Hamburg has the worldfirst web-based airport radar display

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amburg Airport has become the first worldwide to operate the new web-based, cloud-enabled radar display from DFS Aviation Services.

The tool for radar and flight plan information is being used in the vehicles of the airport’s apron management service as a mobile solution.

Drivers can track all flight movements in real time and plan their routes accordingly. The system has been used successfully by Hamburg Airport in the apron management service and the traffic management centre for years.

October 2019

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Cargo & Logistics

RwandAir sees big air cargo boost in Dubai

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he national carrier of Rwanda, one of the smallest countries on the African mainland bordered

by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Congo, has seen a 17 percent increase in passenger traffic to and from Dubai in the first seven months of 2019.

RwandAir has seen a 38 percent increase in cargo traffic also. In 2018, a total of 42,000 passengers travel from Dubai to Kigali using the airline, 20,000 of them between January and July.

In comparison, 240,000 passengers have used the airline through July

2019, while cargo rose from 200 to 280 tonnes year-on-year. To cope with the demand, the airline now operates a larger Airbus A330, as opposed to the Boeing 737 it previously used. Flights between Kigali and Dubai operate four times each week.

The airline flies to 29 destinations in Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe.

With Kigali International Airport as its hub, the airline is one of the fastest growing airlines and has one of the youngest, state-of-the-art fleets in all of Africa.

Canadian airport invests to improve air freights

The investment will fund for an increase in aircraft parking and the construction of a 215,000-square foot warehouse dedicated to air freight.

The Mirabel’s 88,000 metric tonnes accounted for just six percent of total

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onstruction work has started on a new logistics centre at Halifax Stanfield Airport (HIAA) in Canada.

The new centre is due to open in early 2021 and aims to cater for a range of Canadian goods, from Nova Scotia lobster to aeronautical components.

Elroy Air’s drone aims to fly cargo 300 miles

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anada’s Mirabel International Airport, the largest airportever envisaged until King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia was opened in 1999, will get C$107 in investments to improve air freight and logistics at the cargo-only facility, which also hosts a production site for the Airbus 220 aircraft.

Halifax Stanfield Airport breaks ground on new logistics centre

Canadian air cargo volumes in 2018.

Cargo carriers operating there include FedEx, DHL, UPS, Purolator and CargoJet. Mirabel stopped handling passenger traffic in 2004, but it serves as the heart of Canada’s aerospace industry, including Bombardier, Airbus and Bell.

Airbus has expanded its facilities at Mirabel, where it produces the A220 with the original developer, Bombardier.

rones will start carrying out last-mile air cargo deliveries, with Elroy Air, a San Francisco start-up developing delivery drones capable of carrying larger payloads than a single Amazon parcel or a pizza, getting ready for business.

A team comprising of aerospace engineers, industrial designers, computer scientists and supply chain experts from MIT, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Embry-Riddle, 3D Robotics, Airware, Honeywell, Google Wing and Uber Freight, among others, released the test footage of their new commercial platform: the Chaparral.

Technology

3D baggage scanners might end airport liquid restrictions

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number of airports in the US has started installing 3D scanning equipment. All major airports in the UK is mandated to introduce 3D baggage screening equipment before the end of 2022.

Experts argues the technology will boost security, speed up preboarding checks, and could end the restrictions on travelling with liquids and laptops.

The equipment, similar to CT scanners used in hospitals, is already being installed at London’s Heathrow Airport. It provides a clearer picture of a bag’s contents, which staff can zoom in to and rotate for inspection. Currently,

passengers taking liquid in their cabin baggage are restricted to containers holding no more than 100ml, which must be shown to security staff in a single, transparent, re-sealable plastic bag of about 20cm x 20cm.

New airport security check technology under test

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he latest airline security technology is being tested at Las Vegas airport. Touted as the first of its kind, the US Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Innovation Checkpoint, located in Terminal 3 at McCarran International Airport, tests emerging security technologies in a live setting. McCarran was chosen

for the advanced checkpoint pilot program as it is part of the TSA’s Innovation Task Force and because of the diversity of passengers who pass through the facility’s gates.

Partnering with United Airlines, the checkpoint only screens customers for four hours from 10 am Sunday through Thursday to minimize the effect on customers.

Germany test quieter landings with pilot assistance system

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pproach and landing are among the most labour-intensive flight phases, but the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has developed the Low Noise Augmentation System (LNAS) in order to support pilots as they perform the complex procedures required for a low-noise approach. The system uses a display in the cockpit to shows the pilot exactly what action

has to be performed and when in order to minimise noise. In September, DLR conducted tests for the system on board its A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA) during approaches to Zurich Airport.

Embraer unveils fixed-wing electric demonstrator

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razilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has unveiled its fixed-wing, single-engine electric demonstrator aircraft as it seeks to play a part in the reduction of carbon emissions and to become a major force in the urban and regional mobility markets. Another Brazilian company, WEG, is building the demonstrator’s electric motor and controller under a teaming agreement.

First flight of the aircraft, based on the Embraer single-engine crop duster, is to come next year, according to Embraer.

October 2019

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Tourism

Chinese tourists stay away from Asian beaches

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he Chinese travel boom in the Asian region is now in reverse gear, according to a report by Bloomberg.

From quiet beaches in Bali to empty rooms in Hanoi’s hotels, pangs from China’s economic malaise and weakening Yuan are being felt across Southeast Asia’s vacation belt. A boom in Chinese outbound travel that stoked tourism across Southeast Asia is now in reverse gear.

The abrupt decline of Chinese travellers is becoming a painful lesson for countries like Thailand and Indonesia that had become overly dependent on Asia’s top economy.

Dubai Tourism’s aggressive promotion in Russia

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ubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) hosted a series of strategic meetings with tourism and media companies in Russia, highlighting the industry’s positive performance during H1 2019 and outlining marketing initiatives aimed at further boosting tourist arrivals from the city-state’s sixth largest source market.

The meetings in Moscow and St. Petersburg are an extension of similar engagements that Dubai Tourism is continuing to hold with stakeholders and media in traditional strongholds

Scotland pumps £9 million in funds to support tourism

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cotland, a country which is part of the UK, is pumping in £9 million over three years to support

tourism amid fears of a decline in visitors. Citing an ‘uncertain time’ for its tourism industry, Scotland has pledged to invest £1 million to develop forest tourism across southern part by 2021 to establish the region as an adventure tourism destination while also promoting sustainable tourism.

Other areas to benefit include the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund which will benefit to the tune of £3 million through 2020-21 to enhance the visitor experience at more remote destinations.

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October 2019

and emerging markets in elevating consideration for Dubai as the destination of choice for travellers worldwide.

At one-on-one discussions with chief executives of tourism companies and at a media roundtable, officials explained the tourism strategy of making Dubai the most-visited destination and the most recommended city with the most repeat visitors, in line with the goals of Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-2025.

The strategic meetings drew attention to Russia’s emergence as one of the emirate’s top source markets.

Bahamas tourism devastated by hurricane

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ourism industry in The Bahamas, a coral-based archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, has devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Located between Florida, Cuba and Haiti, the archipelago with 385,000 residents - 85 per cent of them of African origin - lives mainly from tourism.

Bahamas drives huge income from tourism with 80 per cent of its four million visitors a year coming from the US. The sector accounts for 60 per cent of the more than US$12 billion GDP and employs half of the people of working age.

APPROVAL OF CRANES &

OTHER CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT October 2019

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