Via Dubai Magazine | November 2014

Monthly Newsletter issued by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority

www.viadubaionline.com

Issue 18 November 2014

How big can airplanes get?

Inside DCAA DCAA showcases smart services at GITEX-2014

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DCAA welcomes Abu Dhabi DoT delegation

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UAE in Focus DANS celebrates Development Programme

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22 Created by Spanish designer Oscar Vinals, the Sky Whale would be bigger than the double-deck Airbus A-380, currently the biggest airliner in the world, and would be more technologically advanced. Could this three-decker plane with a 755 passenger capacity and resembling a whale, be the future of commercial flight?

Dubai Customs seizes 12 cocaine worth AED200 million Dubai to have 160,000 hotel rooms by 2020

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DCAA commenced Smart services journey

Middle East

Big data to shape the future of travel

Flying A Dream gets another award

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Arab airports to witness 14 high growth by 2026

International 31,000 new aircraft needed in 20 years

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Airlines

Iyad Hindiyeh

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Opinion

Etihad Airways to enter 18 new markets

European airlines financially weakest

ATM DANS to upgrade 30 world’s largest tower simulator

Ali Al Mualla

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Tony Tyler

In Focus 22

Airline plays an ambassadorial role

Refresh business focus to compete and win

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Raymond L. Conner

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Cargo & Logistics 24

Uhuru Kenyatta

Air travel forever changed since 9/11

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Rich Thomaselli

Technology 26

Message from the President 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 AlMaktoum, 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.

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 Executive Editor Mohammed Abdul Mannan Creative Manager Mohammed Al Jarouf E-mail: viadubai@naddalshiba.com 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.

Advertise with us Editorial, Production, PR & Marketing Nadd AlShiba PR and Event Management

Tel +971 4 25 66 707 Fax +971 4 25 66 704 info@naddalshiba.com www.naddalshiba.com

All on board the journey of success

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he aviation industry in Dubai has remained in the midst of spectacular growth, both on the grounds and in the air.

Every stakeholder is working towards meeting the demands of the anticipated growth.

In line with the vision of increasing the GDP contribution of aviation to 32 per cent by 2020 and transform Dubai into the global aviation hub for the 21st century, massive investments are being pumped to expand the facilities.

Dubai Airports, DCAA and DANS are ahead in the preparations.

Dubai will spend $32 billion on expanding Al Maktoum International to handle over 200 million people annually next decade, roughly triple the current level of passenger traffic through the emirate.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had approved plans to expand the Al Maktoum International in two phases.

Dubai International has seen traffic growing at double-digit rates and hit 66.4 million passengers last year.

Dubai International Airport is on track to open Concourse D, which will be connected to an existing terminal by an automated train, next year.

The fourth concourse is part of a wider $7.8 billion expansion programme

Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

designed to boost the airport’s capacity to over 100 million passengers annually by 2020.

We are confident about Dubai International hitting the 70 million passengers’ mark this year despite an 80-day runway refurbishment programme this summer curtailing the operations partially.

Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) is working on enhancing its strategy to develop it services into smart services.

Also, Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) which is now an independentlymanaged ANSP, is taking effective steps to enhance its role and regional presence.

Based on steps taken by these organizations which plays vital role in developing the Dubai aviation industry’s performance, it is no exaggeration to say that Dubai will continue flying high in the future with everyone contributing towards its journey of success.

Printed by Printwell Dubai

Our Vision Dubai Civil Aviation Authority is driven by the vision of Dubai to become the global Aviation Capital contributing to prosperity and enabling growth for Dubai.

Our Mission Dubai Civil Aviation Authority is committed to support the aviation sector in:

E-mail: dcaa@dcaa.gov.ae Website: www.dcaa.gov.ae Tel: (971) 4 216 2009 Fax: (971) 4 224 4502 P.O.BOX 49888 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

u Capturing the full value potential as a global passenger, tourism, trade, cargo and logistic hub u Providing the capacity, connectivity and leveraging existing assets to meet the aviation sector and economic growth plans of Dubai u Ensuring sustainable and responsible growth committed to safety, health, environment and security u Providing and creating customer-focused services to gain competitive advantage from innovation, knowledge and efficiency u Building and retaining capabilities, for the aviation sector, while offering career opportunities for Nationals u Ensuring a transparent, effective and commercially balanced regulatory framework that reflects the interests of the aviation industry, Dubai and the UAE u Providing efficient and cost-effective services to the aviation sector

facebook.com/pages/Dubai-Civil-Aviation-Authority/299170846763911

twitter.com/DcaaDubai

youtube.com/user/dcaadubai

Message

from the Director General

Mohammed Abdulla Ahli

DCAA showcases smart services at GITEX-2014

Smart Achievements

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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) participated in the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Technology Week, under the Dubai Smart Government.

DCAA launched 14 smart services relating to the services rendered to its customers in the aviation industry, in line with the Smart Government initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Its smart services include: Landing Approvals, carriage of restricted articles, issue of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of different aviation business activities such as building heights, Crane Operations, GSM Communication Towers, Balloon Operations, and Aircraft Warning Light.

DCAA is expanding the Smart services portfolio and will introduce more e-Services in the near future.

Aircraft landing permits are a major activity for DCAA given the high volume of schedule and nonscheduled flights that operate in to Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central (DWC). DCAA has the capacity to process applications within 30 minutes provided all relevant documentation are in place.

We are sure our strategic partners and customers are happy and satisfied about our portfolio of smart services.

DCAA is working towards making Dubai a truly smart city by extending the scope of our smart services in the future for the benefit of our customers.

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November 2014

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or the seventh consecutive year, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) participated in the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Technology Week in Dubai from October 12 to 16.

Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of DCAA, said the Authority utilized the 2014 edition of world’s third largest ICT expo to display its smart services portfolio. The smart services provided by DCAA are aimed at making the application process of its customers easier and faster.

The services include approvals for Aircraft Landing, Dangerous Goods and Firearms transportation, Issuance of No Objection Certificates (NoCs), Airport Security Programme/Heliport Security Programme (ASP/HSP, Aircraft Operator Security Programme (AOSP), and Airport Tenant Security Programme (ATSP).

The smart services form part of the DCAA Strategic Plan for in line with the government’s vision of making Dubai one of the world’s most-competitive civil aviation hubs and to effectively participate in the Dubai Government’s Smart Government initiative of making all government transactions online by 2015.

DCAA plans to expand its Smart services portfolio and introduce more e-Services in the near future. Its first e-Service was launched in 2013 which dealt with issuing safety and security related No Objection Certificate (NoC). 

Inside DCAA

Flying A Dream continues to reap more awards

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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has won a silver award for the documentary film, Flying A Dream, which it produced in collaboration with Ti22 Films, a film production company.

The film which won several awards documents the Dubai’s civil aviation journey over the past 75 years. The documentary was shown for the first time at a celebration organized by the DCAA to celebrate 75 years of Open Skies policy in Dubai. The celebrations were held in December 2012.

The documentary film includes archival information and audio in addition to interviews with VIPs, including that of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum who played an outstanding role in the history of civil aviation industry in Dubai. Early this year, the film had won international gold award in the societal and social issues category at the prestigious New York Festival which recognizes best movies and TV works. 

DCAA welcomes Abu Dhabi DoT delegation delegation from Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport (DoT) has visited Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) during which experiences and best practices in the field of aviation security and accident investigations were shared.

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the civil aviation domain. He gave a presentation about the DCAA along with other presentations given by heads of different sections under the Aviation Security and Accidents Investigation Department.

Obaid Al Nuaimi, Assistant Director of Aviation Safety and Accident Investigation Department at DCAA, welcomed the delegation. He said the visit was designed to share information and experience and enhance mutual cooperation between the two entities in

The delegation was also given a tour of the Dubai International and Al Maktoum International airport to enable them gain knowledge about the best practices and expertise applied in different aspects to support the continuous expansion in the civil aviation industry.  November 2014

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Inside DCAA

DCAA’s successful participation in GITEX-2014 HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, toured the DCAA stand at the GITEX-2014

Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of DCAA, with directors of DCAA departments and DCAA Team for Gitex-2014 DCAA offered smart devices and tickets to visitors at its GITEX-2014 stand.

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Inside DCAA

HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum toured the DCAA Stand at the Gitex-2014

HH Sheikh Khalid bin Issam Al Qassimi, Chairman of Sharjah’s Department of Civil Aviation, visited the DCAA stand at the GITEX-2014

DCAA provides 14 smart services to its customers for obtaining approvals in record 30 minutes for a variety of services like aircraft landing permits, transportation of dangerous goods and fire arms and NoCs for building high rise buildings and communication towers in the Dubai International and Al Maktoum International Airport surroundings.

HE Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy, visited the DCAA Stand at Gitex-2014 November 2014

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DCAA Interview

DCAA commenced Smart services journey

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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) is flying high when it comes to implementing smart services to ease the process and procedures for obtaining approvals for a variety of services by the aviation industry stakeholders, in line with the vision and instructions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on the Smart Government initiative.

In an interview with Via Dubai, Ali Abdulla Rashid Al Mualla, Head of IT section at DCAA, disclosed that a total of 14 smart services have been introduced by the Authority in line with its Dubai’s strategy to provide

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best customer facilities to achieve customer satisfaction.

These services have been launched by utilizing advance technologies to facilitate trans-

actions in a smooth and efficient manner, in line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of providing smart government. The DCAA’s portfolio of smart services cover: Landing Approvals, carriage of restricted

DCAA Interview

articles, issue of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of different aviation business activities such as building heights, Crane Operations, GSM Communication Towers, Balloon Operations, and Aircraft Warning Light.

The IT section, he said, plays a crucial role in supporting DCAA’s strategic plan and the ambitious growth drive of Dubai’s aviation industry by supporting with highly-advanced IT infrastructure and latest Business Intelligence tools that enables DCAA to serve the aviation industry stakeholders in a satisfactory and efficient manner.

He added that the IT section overcame several technical hurdles during the transformation from manual to electronic services, and thereafter to smart services. This includes ensuring information security and tremendous variances in smart phones operating systems through which the smart services are provided to the customers.

Ali said: “Not only does the IT section technically supports the DCAA customers and employees but also its strategic partners through services like electronic permissions to institutions, such as, Police Department as well as Emirates Airlines in respect of applications for No Objection Certificate (NOC) relating to the carriage of restricted articles to and from Dubai aerodromes.”

The DCAA’s SMART services, he said, was dramatically different from those in other customer-oriented governmental entities. Unlike other government entities, DCAA smart service contains much more than a mere transaction for payment. In these aviation dedicated services, payment transaction takes place only on final stage, after required documents for related service is uploaded in the system. Upon submission criteria fulfillment, the DCAA administrator having its own cus-

The DCAA’s SMART services, he said, was dramatically different from those in other customeroriented governmental entities tomized dashboard, from his smart device, will review the uploaded documents, and will process the request accordingly, without utilizing standard desktop office. There is full dedicated decision making workflow for each dedicated service on whether to reject, approve or ask for more information to the customer by DCAA administrator through automated triggered notifications.

The flexibility offered to customer is merely to use his mobile phone camera and take a Hi-Resolution snapshots of the needed documents and send them as attachments, saving customer’s money, efforts and valuable time.

He remarked: “No doubt, the introduction of smart services has helped us improve the customer satisfaction levels tremendously and cemented DCAA’s position as the first smart services provider in the Middle East for landing permission for foreign aircraft.”

The smart services are in line with Dubai’s ambitious plans for the development and expansion of aviation industry and to make Dubai the world’s top-league aviation hub and to achieve the goals of the DCAA strategy plan for safety and sustainability in the aviation sector.  November 2014

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Exclusive

Big data to shape the future of travel

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n an exclusive interview with Via Dubai, Iyad Hindiyeh, Head of Airport IT Business Development at Amadeus IT Group SA, offer insights into the changing travel industry landscape and the latest technologies that are redefining the travel experience.

How do you see the technology trends shaping in the Gulf region to improve the performance of the air travel industry?

Consumers are increasingly dependent on technology for visualizing, researching, booking, experiencing, and sharing their trips. Leisure and business travellers increasingly desire personalized experiences and customized services. As per a Google study, almost 50 per cent of users in the Middle East use smartphones for travel booking purposes, while 35 per cent are doing so in the UAE. As a result, customer expectations in the Gulf travel industry have never been higher.

Airlines are forced to consistently innovate to strengthen their offering and introduce new services to ensure customer loyalty and stay ahead of the game. Similarly airports are taking drastic steps to smoothen the travel experience for passengers.

We have recently launched Amadeus Airport Common Use Service (ACUS) which allow airports to eliminate costly on-site systems, lowering operational expenses and minimizing the environmental impact. Big data is set to shape the future of travel. The adoption of cloud technology will allow airports to lower their operational expenses.

Dubai is preparing to Expo 2020.

How do you evaluate Dubai and UAE’s preparations to meet the target?

The region’s focus on enhancing its destination offering is well exemplified by Dubai, which has a vision of welcoming 20 million international visitors by 2020.

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A young and rapidly expanding population will be the key travel driver in the Gulf region Rising air passenger traffic has prompted the GCC countries to invest $90 billion in developing airports, of which the UAE alone has an investment of over $23 billion.

GCC aviation companies expected to receive delivery of 500 aircrafts during 201420. Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways combined are likely to receive more than 350 aircrafts. It is estimated that Dubai will add approximately 20,000 to 30,000 more rooms by year 2016 and another 35,000 to 45,000 rooms by 2020. The UAE as a whole is transforming itself into attractive tourist destination.

make reservations and bookings independently. It is essential that travel providers and travel sellers keep consistently up to date with the changing needs of their customers and adopt new technologies to meet these needs.

Do you see an end to the face-toface travel agents in near future?

While the Middle East – in particular the UAE and Qatar – have shown commendable resolve in setting industry benchmarks by catering to the needs of the modern traveler. It is argued that the region’s online travel sector still lacks the maturity of its Western counterparts. Industry players and traditional travel agents have realized the importance of evolving, but not all have been able to master a strategy to succeed online.

A young and rapidly expanding population will be the key travel driver in the Gulf region. As this segment of the population matures, a new generation called ‘first-time travellers’ or ‘coming-of-age’ travellers will join the global pool of travellers and look for new experiences. Like their counterparts across the world, their travel-related behaviour will be heavily skewed in favour of technology and social media.

Many local travel agency models have not reached the level of sophistication needed to pierce a market dominated by more established players such as Booking.com, Expedia, Makemytrip and Cleartrip. Moreover, travellers in this region still seek a more personal touch when making their bookings. According to a survey conducted

by Amadeus last year, 41 per cent of travel agents said that they still have a very high degree of influence on the travellers’ final hotel choice. It is important that travel agents have the right online-offline mix to ensure they meet the varied needs of their diverse customer base.

Extremely well-informed, highly proficient with and having access to technology, this segment of tomorrow’s decision-makers will conduct end-to-end research online,

As technology provider, what is your advice for meeting the challenges expected to reshape the travel industry?

What changes do you expect in travel trend in the future?

Exclusive

Travellers are increasingly expecting their journeys to be one single smooth experience — from thinking of where to go to buying tickets, arriving at the airport, travelling, and then reaching their final destination. In circumstances of unavoidable disruptions, they will expect to be instantly informed on how it will affect them personally via their mobile devices.

I do not see any potential challenge to in-flight Wi-Fi and telephone services in airlines. Having access to the Internet while on board is becoming a key differentiator for a number of travellers when choosing which airline to fly with. Similarly, airlines believe that Wi-Fi services will set them apart, so most flights will

be equipped with reliable Internet in the coming years. It seems passengers want in-flight Wi-Fi, but they don’t want to pay for it. In some instances, airlines (like Emirates) are subsidizing the service, appreciating the fact that paying the bill is a short-term hit worth taking in order to meet the demands of their passengers. 

The travel industry will need to stay up to date with market trends to meet the changing demands of the traveller. Adopting the right technologies at the right time is the key to success. Mobile payment and personal tracking technologies will play a huge role in enabling travel and providing the customer with the facility of “click-to-book”. Augmenting airport IT infrastructure will significantly increase all-round efficiencies, and result in an enhanced end traveller experience that will ensure sustainability in the long run for all stakeholders.

In-flight Wi-Fi services and telephone service are the new trend to attract this segment of travellers. Do you see it will pose any challenge?

November 2014

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UAE in Focus

DANS celebrates Development Programme

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ubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) celebrated the graduation of its first batch of employees in a comprehensive oneyear career development programme with Senior Vice President Ibrahim Ahli, on behalf of His Excellency Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and CEO of DANS, presenting the certificates at a formal ceremony.

The development programme is inspired by the four elements of life and caters to all levels and specialist roles within the organization. The Air component is aimed at developing staff for leadership roles in the organization, while Sun focuses on developing the next line managers and team leaders. The Water component is designed for those who opt to take up specialist and supervisory roles in the future and the Earth element caters to newly-joined employees. Consistent across all segments are the fixed components of mentoring, shadowing, engagement in corporate social responsibility activities and networking.

Additional features of the programme are tailored to individual and role requirements.

Mohammed Ahli commented: “DANS is committed to providing the best career development opportunities for its employees as part of its strategy to enhance their knowledge, skills and expertise in order to serve the aviation industry efficiently and professionally. The Development

Programme sits at the very heart of this strategy and will go a long way in meeting our future needs of qualified and experienced professionals to manage the rising air traffic growth in Dubai.”

As part of this commitment the programme’s objective is to incorporate 70 per cent of its Emirati employees into the programme over the next five years.

The programme is unique and bespoke to DANS, covers all the levels of the organization and offers a tailored curriculum that addresses the professional training needs of the employees. All with the intention of producing the skilled taskforce essential to benefit the aviation industry stakeholders in a long term. 

GCAA, ICAO inks MoU for training programmes

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he UAE, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

He added: “This agreement is in line with the strategic objectives set by the Authority to boost international cooperation. Moreover, such strategies reflect the strategies adopted by the UAE Federal Government which focus and promote joint cooperation programs with the different countries and regions.”

The agreement was signed by GCAA Director General, Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi and the Secretary General of ICAO, Raymond Benjamin, in Montreal, Canada.

The MoU will reinforce international cooperation programs initiated by the authority together with the aviation authorities in different countries. Under the agreement, GCAA will provide technical and logistic support in order to facilitate international training programs in the domain of civil aviation, which are organized

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by ICAO at its headquarters or within member states’ territories.

Saif Al Suwaidi said: “The civil aviation industry in the UAE has come a long way in the field of human resource and technical development in civil aviation. At the

international level, the UAE has secured its position among leading countries in this domain. Effective agreements and partnerships with many countries were made to enhance the overall international civil aviation system.”

GCAA had signed a number of training agreements with regional civil aviation organizations. The Authority also extended some of the existing MoUs including the ones signed with the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (CLAC) and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC). By virtue of these agreements, many training sessions were held over the past three years and about 300 civil aviation professionals were trained. 

UAE in Focus

DDF regains top global position

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Generation Research report has revealed that Dubai Duty Free (DDF) is the largest single airport retail operation in the world, based on sales of $1.8 billion in 2013. This is the fourth time (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013) that the airport operator nudge ahead to first place position, this time ahead of Seoul Incheon, Singapore Changi and London Heathrow.

In 2013, global duty free and travel retail sales reached a record $60 billion, representing a 7.5 per cent increase. Airport duty free sales account for $34.67 billion of that business. Dubai

Duty Free, as a single operator, accounts for 5.19 per cent of global airport duty free business and almost three per cent of the wider duty free and travel retail global business.In the Middle East, the value of airport-based duty free sales reached $3.9 billion, representing a 10 per cent

Emirates inks deal to manage African carrier

increase over the previous year. DDF accounts for 45.73 per cent of airport sales in the region.

Meanwhile, the UAE ranked 7th in the world’s Top 25 countries for duty free and travel retailing shopping, taking 4.1 per cent of market share. 

First round-the-world solar powered flight to take off in Abu Dhabi in 2015

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bu Dhabi will host the start and finish of the first solarpowered flight around the world, which is scheduled to take off next year, it has been announced. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are planning the pioneering trip in March 2015 with their Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) aircraft.

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mirates Airline has signed an agreement with the Republic of Angola to manage African flag carrier TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola. The Management Concession Agreement is subject to approval but the deal will see the Dubai carrier take a role in the management of the Angolan carrier, which the African government is a majority stakeholder in.

This initiative is to further the Republic of Angola’s vision to create a world class Angolan carrier with the support of Emirates. As part of the agreement, Emirates will work closely with the Angolan government and TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola.Emirates will not take an equity stake in the Angolan carrier

but aims to work with the government “to formulate and implement a business plan, provide management support and devise fleet and route network strategies, whilst bringing synergy through the complementary networks.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of DCAA, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Through this partnership Emirates aims to provide deeper reach and better connectivity for our passengers in Central and South Africa.

At the same time, we see an opportunity for TAAG Linhas Aéreas De Angola passengers to benefit from Emirates’ global network. 

The round-the-world tour is expected to take 25 days over a period of 4-5 months. Solar Impulse is currently finalizing the stages after Abu Dhabi and expects to make stopovers in Asia, the United States and in Southern Europe or North Africa, before returning to Abu Dhabi in July 2015.Si2 will be delivered to Abu Dhabi by cargo plane from the Payerne

aerodrome in Switzerland towards the end of the year and will be showcased during the World Future Energy Summit as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January.

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has been named as the host partner of Solar Impulse and its team will be hosted

by Masdar and Abu Dhabi at the start of January for testing and training prior to the flight.

Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, chairman of Masdar, said: “Abu Dhabi, Masdar and Solar Impulse have in common a pioneering spirit, a long-term vision and a desire to explore new horizons. 

November 2014

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UAE in Focus

Dubai Customs seizes cocaine worth AED200 million

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n the largest seizures of its kind in the UAE over the past five years, Dubai Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle a large haul of cocaine, weighing 171.2 kilograms, with a street value of more than AED200 million.

The seized narcotics were found in a shipment of fresh bananas totalling 45 tonnes. The consignment arrived at the Port of Jebel Ali, and originated from a Latin American country via

Europe. The illicit drugs were concealed the cocaine in boxes of fresh bananas.

Ahmed Al Kharusi, Director of Customs Intelligence Department, pointed out that the Customs Intelligence Department collected and assessed intelligence data and conducted field monitoring. The shipment was confiscated upon arrival at the port.

He revealed that smugglers have resorted to a number of tactics to pass through customs inspection undetected, such as using sorcery items, adding extra lead on the container, painting narcotic bags with an organic substance to fool customs dogs, changing the shipping route to a European port then to Jebel Ali Port, instead of taking a direct route to Jebel Ali Port. 

Natalie Tours hosts annual conference in Dubai

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atalie Tours, a premier Russian tour operator, hosted its 10th Annual Congress in Dubai in October, in collaboration with Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Atlantis The Palm Dubai Hotel & Resort, and Alpha Tours. The Congress brought 230 directors of various travel agencies in Russia and the CIS states.

Natalie Tours has carved a niche as one of the leading tour operators into the UAE, bringing around two million tourists from Russia and the CIS states over the past 10 years. The business sessions of the Congress focused on the efforts and initiatives of Na-

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talie Tours in bringing in tourists from Russia and CIS into the UAE. The conference was addressed by Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFADubai), Marc Bennett, Senior Vice President, International Operations of DTCM, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations, Dubai Tourism, Vladimir Vorobiev, President of Natalie Tours, Natalia Vorobieva, CEO of Natalie Tours, Serge Zaalof, COO of Atlantis The Palm, and Adnan Aridi, Managing Director of Alpha Tours.

Vorobieva: “We are extremely delighted to host our 10th Annual Congress in Dubai, which is one of the most strategic target markets.

We have traditionally seen a high tourists’ traffic into Dubai and the UAE in spite of the economic turbulence and challenges back in Russia and the CIS states.

This Congress is a great opportunity to highlight the unique attractions that Dubai and UAE offer. We are thankful to our partners Alpha Tours for their continued support and guidance over the years.” 

UAE in Focus

Dubai to have 160,000 hotel rooms by 2020

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he thriving hospitality industry of Dubai, recording consistently high occupancy rates and sustained expansion, is on track to boost capacity to 160,000 by 2020. In the first half of 2014, Dubai welcomed more than 5.8 million tourists. In the first half of 2014, Dubai welcomed more than 5.8 million tourists.

From 378 properties comprising 254 hotels and 124 hotel apartments, offering a total of 25,188 room keys, Dubai’s hotel has expanded to include a further 256 properties to reach a total of 634 establishments and 88,888 room keys — an increase

of over 350 per cent, according to data released by the organizers of the Hotel Show Dubai 2014.

In the first half of 2014, Dubai welcomed more than 5.8 million tourists — the highest number of visitors ever achieved in the first six months of the year. The UAE is already among the top five countries in the world for new hotel openings over the past five years. The UAE also has the longest pipeline of rooms under construction with an additional 32,107 rooms in the offing while the Middle East/Africa hotel development pipeline comprises 483 hotels totaling 117,450 rooms. 

UAE plans Arab world’s first mission to Mars

Jafza achieves double-digit growth in H1 2014

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ebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) has posted over 21 per cent growth in the number of new companies in the first half of 2014 compared with the same period last year.

As many as 363 new multinationals have chosen the free zone as their regional base in the first six months. More than 50 per cent of these new companies come from the Asia Pacific, led by India and China, while 10 per cent are from the Americas and the UK, which reinforces the strategic importance of Jafza as the hub to serve the thriving Middle Eastern markets.

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he United Arab Emirates has established its own space agency and plans to send an unmanned mission to Mars by 2021.

A law formally establishing the UAE Space Agency had been signed with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi and a branch in Dubai. The first meeting of the UAE Space Agency was held in July and was led by Sheikh Mohammed, who directed all government institutions to provide maximum support.

“We chose the epic challenge of reaching Mars because epic chal-

lenges inspire us and motivate us,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.On Twitter, he said the country’s investment in space technologies already eclipsed $5 billion and shared a computer-animated simulation of what the Martian voyage would look like.

Jafza accounts for almost 40 per cent of FDI into the emirate and 20 percent into the UAE. The free zone accounts for more than a half of Dubai’s exports and a quarter of its total non-oil trade.

Jafza, according to a PwC report,

contributes more than 21 per cent to the GDP of Dubai.

Dubai’s right to host World Expo 2020 provides further push to the continuously growing trade and commerce in the UAE and the region. As a facilitator, Jafza has launched a number of important initiatives such as Matajircom and Halal Zone that follow and support the government’s strategy to make Dubai the most dynamic economy in the world.

Jafza is one of the most diverse free zones in the world. It is currently home to 7,500 companies.

17 per cent of these companies are in IT and electronics, 15 per cent in construction material, 12 per cent in chemical and petroleum products, 12 per cent in machinery and equipment, 10 per cent in food and healthcare, 9 per cent in automotive and 5 per cent in logistics sector. 

The unmanned probe will travel more than 60 million kilometres in nine months and will be launched to coincide with the UAE’s 50th anniversary.  November 2014

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Middle East in Focus

Arab airports to witness high growth by 2026

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irlines of the Arab world will carry double the number of passengers by 2026 as the region’s carriers, particularly those of the Arabian Gulf, buy hundreds more planes and governments invest in airports on the ground.

According to the Beirut-based Arab Air Carriers Organization, of which Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways are members, said its member-airlines will carry 300 million passengers by 2026, from the present 150 million.

The number of passengers flying through Arab airports will grow from 268 million to 571 million by 2026.It said despite the large increase in passengers carried by

Arab airlines, the region’s share of passengers flying through and within the region will remain largely the same, at about 66 per cent.

The fleet count of Arab carriers will grow from 1069 to 1685, yet the average age of the region’s fleets will increase from seven years to 8.2 years as airlines replenish their fleets at a slower rate, it said.

The growth in passengers flying on Arab carriers will be driven by the overall jump in the numbers of people flying, rather than scores of new destinations being served.

Arab carries will serve 409 destinations by 2026 up slightly from the present 365.

Doha airport deploys ABC eGates

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amad International Airport (HIA) is now home to one of the largest number of Automated Border Control (ABC) eGates in the world.

A seamless, memorable passenger journey was the motto for the implementation of a state-of-the-art Border Control process at the Doha facility.

Vision-Box was contracted by the airport’s Steering Committee for the implementation of one of the largest number of eGates in one single airport in the world.

The 62 vb i-match eGates are already in use at the HIA, operated by Vision-Box’s front-end Border Control application.

The multimodal capabilities allow for the use of face, iris and fingerprint as biometric identifiers.

They ensure a speedy passage time with maximum accuracy, offering state-of-the-art Automated Border Control to several different traveller profiles, while making sure that the border is secure and that the passenger has a pleasant experience. 

It said traffic between Asia and the two regions of sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America will provide the greatest growth opportunities to Arab carriers going forward as the region’s airlines

Special bridges for A380s at Abu Dhabi airport

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bu Dhabi International Airport will be equipped with special bridges by December to receive Etihad Airways’ new superjumbo aircraft, according to a report in The National.

73,862 in the same period, an 11.8 percent growth. The growth came on the back of rapid route expansion by the UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways, which uses the airport as its global hub.

“Is Abu Dhabi ready for the A380?

You bet it is,” said James Hogan, President and CEO of Etihad Airways, at the Airbus A380 roll-out event in Hamburg.

The world’s biggest passenger aircraft requires a special bridge at the gate to connect the double-decker jet to the terminal. It is also not practical to transfer about 500 passengers from the aircraft to the airport using buses.

“We are working very closely with Abu Dhabi Airports Corporation.

We already have one fully fitted air bridge in place and the other one will be available shortly.”

A total of 9,481,744 passengers passed through Abu Dhabi International Airport during the first six months of this year, a 19.4 percent increase year-on-year. The number of aircraft movements also rose to

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November 2014

continue to pursue a strategy of transit traffic. It added Arab airlines will capture 16 per cent of global traffic between other continents by 2026, up from the present 12 per cent. 

Etihad’s A380s will feature a $20,000-a-ticket flying hotel suite.

Etihad said it will deploy its A380 on flights to London from December – eventually flying three times a day. Etihad will also fly the A380 on its Sydney and New York routes from next year. Etihad has 10 of the aircraft on order. 

Middle East in Focus

BEST JET FUEL MARKETER Africa & Middle East for 6 consecutive years

Tel: +971 4 313 4631 Fax: +971 4 313 4602 aviation@enoc.com

November 2014

15

International

Boeing, Airbus to raise aircraft production

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31,000 new aircraft needed in 20 years

oeing has plans to raise output of 737 jetliners beyond its already blistering production pace in view of the global demand for new aircraft.

The move is to build a record 52 737s a month in 2018, from 42 currently. The increase will push production of 737 aircraft to 624 a year in 2018, almost matching the 648 jetliners the company delivered last year across all four of its main models.

Airbus says it is considering increasing production of its narrow body A320 family to 46 a month in 2016 from 42. It plans to increase monthly production to 50 A320 planes later.

Boeing had already announced plans to raise monthly production of 737 jets to 47 in 2017. Boeing has 4,008 orders for 737 models, including its new fuel-saving 737 MAX series, due to enter service in 2017. 

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n the next 20 years (20142033), according to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast, passenger traffic will grow annually at 4.7 per cent driving a need for around 31,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft (100 seats and above) worth $4.6 trillion.

The passenger and freighter fleet will increase from today’s 18,500 aircraft to 37,500 by 2033, an increase of nearly 19,000 aircraft.

Some 12,400 older less fuel efficient passenger and freighter aircraft will be retired.

FAA gives Hollywood permission to fly drones

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he Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Hollywood the green light to use drone aircraft (UAVs) in the US.

The FAA granted exemptions to six production companies that allow them to use drones for commercial purposes. Before this, the only for-profit use of drones legally permitted in the US was for a handful of oil- and energyindustry projects in the Arctic.The decision is the culmination of years of lobbying by drone enthusiasts, the aerospace industry, and

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November 2014

the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

UAVs are frequently used for aerial film shots outside of the US. Drone camera work is involved mainly for chase and fight scenes.

The six production companies are required to only use UAVs domestically for the creation of scripted content under heavy restrictions: Operators must hold pilots’ licenses and UAVs must weigh less than 55 pounds. 

The economic growth rates in emerging markets such as Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, are outstripping more economically developed regions. One significant effect is that the middle classes in Asia are expected to quadruple in size by 2033 whereas globally they will double from 33 per cent to 63 per cent of world population.

As a result of increased urbanization and concentration of wealth, the number of aviation mega-cities worldwide will double to 91. 

DFW aims to be the world’s healthiest airport

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he Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport has launched a marketing campaign to support the effort of DFW concessionaires in providing healthy eating options.

DFW concessionaires are participating in the campaign, each offering at least one low-calorie, low-fat, low-sodium, cholesterol-free, plant-based, or high-infiber entree or menu item. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has ranked DFW as the 5th best for healthy eating, with 79 per cent of on-site restaurants offering at least one plant-based, fiber-packed entree.

Ken Buchannan, Executive Vice President of Revenue Management at DFW Airport, said: “Although we are very proud to be the fourth busiest airport in the world, we are equally as proud to be one of the healthiest. It is our priority to top the 2014 Airport Food Review ranking with 100 per cent of our eateries serving a nutritious option.” 

International

Korean plans second airport for Jeju Island

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he Korean government is expected to push for construction of a second, larger airport on Jeju Island to handle an ever-growing number of Chinese tourists.

The study says that runways at Jeju Airport will not be enough to handle airplanes arriving or departing at peak times from 2018, The Korea Times reported.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says that runways at Jeju International Airport will become crowded by 2018, creating a need for additional runways or a new airport on the resort island.

Jeju Airport has two runways, with one being 3,180 meters long to accommodate big planes such as Boeing 747s. About 471 passenger airplanes take off and land at Jeju Airport on a daily basis. In 1998, 7.47 million people used the

Belfast airport fighting economic turbulence

airport. The number grew three times by 2006. By 2015, the study projected the number will reach

Frankfurt airport need 3rd terminal

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raport AG, the operator of Frankfurt airport, said its passenger count is set to expand by more than 10 million in less than a decade, highlighting the need for a third terminal.

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elfast International Airport has seen fascinating progress – as well as the occasional set-back. Under new ownership since last year, the airport continues to battle with competition from Dublin Airport, and faces the temporary loss of its link to Newark in the US in the first three months of next year.

But with a raft of new routes announced in recent months, the Northern Ireland travel hub is coming out fighting.

The airport’s Business Development Director Uel Hoey told the Business Telegraph that the sale of the airport to ADC&HAS had resulted in a refocusing on its business and commercial development.

The efforts of the past nine months are now reaping rewards with announcements from easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, Jet2 and Wizz Air. 

23.09 million, and by 2030, 44.24 million people will use the airport annually. 

The passenger count will rise to between 68 million and 73 million by 2021, Chief Executive Officer Stefan Schulte said.

Al-Wazir, the economy minister in Fraport’s home state of Hesse, said he wants the region to focus less on aviation and financial services and promising voters to try and prevent further expansion of Europe’s third-largest airport. Frankfurt will see just under 60 million passengers this year, reported Bloomberg. 

Without a new terminal, more than a quarter of wide-body planes will have to park on the tarmac for passengers using buses shuttling them to existing buildings, he said.

Fraport is lobbying for a new terminal. Tarek

Mexico plans new $9.2 billion airport

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lans have been unveiled for a New Mexico City airport that will eventually be the largest in Latin America and serve as a regional hub, lowering transport costs and boosting tourism to Mexico.

The new airport will be awarded to a consortium of companies and will cost an estimated $9.2 billion, creating 160,000 jobs during its construction, according to a document seen by The Wall Street Journal. The airport will be finished in late 2018 or early 2019.

Several airlines in Europe, Asia and Africa have pending requests for landing slots in Mexico City

that have been denied due to lack of space. The current airport, Benito Juárez International, has two runways but only one is used at any given time because the landing strips are too close together. The new airport will initially have two runways that can be used simultaneously, doubling capacity.

A third runway will be built according to demand.

The Benito Juárez airport will eventually be closed.

The airport handled 31.5 million passengers in 2013, of which about a third were international passengers.  November 2014

17

Airlines

Etihad Airways to enter new markets

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tihad Airways will expand its global route network with the addition of Baku, Tbilisi and Dar es Salaam in the second half of 2015, increasing the total number of new destinations it has announced for next year to nine.

The fast-growing Caucasus region will be a major focus area for the airline next year, with a new service to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, being operated four times a week from October 1, while Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, will be served three times a week from October 2.

Etihad Airways will also commence a daily service to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, from December 1, 2015, providing access to one

of East Africa’s most important economic and government centres.The launch of Dar es Salaam flights supports Etihad Airways’ continued expansion in Africa, representing its 11th destination in the continent. It is also the airline’s fourth destination in East Africa.

James Hogan, President and CEO of Etihad Airways, said seven new routes have already been introduced this year and three more will follow by the end of 2014.

The development of network will be accelerated in 2015.

The airline will commence services to Phuket (Thailand), as well as San Francisco and Dallas (United States) over the remainder of 2014.

Nigeria plans its own national airline

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igeria is in talks with private investors about setting up a new flag-carrier.

Nigeria will spend about $2 billion over four years on rebuilding old airport terminals and constructing new ones. Africa’s most populous nation has lacked a major carrier since the demise of Nigeria Airways a decade ago.

Nigeria signed a $500 million loan agreement last year with the Export-Import Bank of China to fund new terminals in four cities. The government is also building 13 cargo airports for the export of perishable agricultural produce. About $1

Regent Airways to invest $100m in expansion

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egent Airways plans to invest $100 million in expansion in the next two years to grab the growing aviation market of Bangladesh. The private carrier will add five new aircraft to its fleet and launch 13 new international routes during the period.Bangladesh is poised to see robust growth in air traffic over the next six years. The number of passengers will hit 10.2 million, up 76 percent from the

current levels, according to a projection by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.The new routes of Regent will connect Middle East with India and the Far East via Dhaka. Some of the new destinations would be Doha, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Gaya in India, and Johor Bahru in Malaysia. The airline also aims to launch flights on the domestic Saidpur route by this year. 

China Airlines get its first Boeing 777300ER

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hina Airlines has taken the delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range). Ten 777-300ERs are planned to be acquired by the Taiwanese flag carrier.

China Airlines launched operations of its first 777-300ER to Hong Kong and will introduce soon the airplane on transpacific routes,

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November 2014

billion has been provided by the state for the current plans, with another $1 billion earmarked within the project’s duration of four years.Nigeria liquidated Nigeria Airways in 2003 and replaced it with Virgin Nigeria, a joint venture in which Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic Airways. The airline changed its name to Air Nigeria in 2010 after Branson pulled out and it ceased flying two years ago. Arik Air is now the West African nation’s largest carrier with 26 aircraft. 

easyJet orders 27 more A320 aircraft

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asyJet has placed an order for 27 additional current engine option A320s, taking its combined total order for the type to 315 aircraft. Currently easyJet operates a fleet of some 225 A320 Family aircraft.

In June 2013, EasyJet became a customer for the A320neo, with an order for 100 aircraft. Altogether, with this latest order, easyJet’s combined total order for all members of the A320 Family rises to 415 aircraft. easyJet is the largest A320 Family customer and operator in Europe and operates one of Europe’s most extensive route networks.

The airline is the UK’s largest by numbers of passengers carried. The A320 Family is the world’s most successful with nearly 11,000 ordered and over 6,200 delivered to over 400 customers and operators. 

connecting Taipei with major cities in North America, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.

China Airlines is the largest carrier in Taiwan with a fleet of 90 airplanes. The airline currently serves more than 13 million passengers annually to over 118 destinations across the globe. 

Airlines

flydubai expands Tanzania and Russia networks

Pakistan plans to carve up ailing PIA

The airline also started flights to Moscow. With the launch of direct daily flights to Moscow, flydubai now serves nine destinations in Russia. Since launching flights to Russia in 2010, the airline has consistently seen strong demand for travel between the UAE and Russia.

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lydubai has launch flights to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, expanding the network in Africa to 12 destinations. flydubai also launched flights to Bujumbura in Burundi, Entebbe in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda.

The airline launched flights to Samara and Yekaterinburg in 2010, followed by Kazan and Ufa in 2011 and doubled its network last year with four destinations in south-west Russia: Krasnodar, Mineralnye Vody, Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd. 

Turkish Airlines studying more jet purchases

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akistan plans to split ailing national flag carrier PIA into two companies and sell control of the core business to a global airline over the next 18 months, but political opposition to the sell-off will be intense, the country’s privatization czar said.

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Financial advisers are now in talks with several airlines about taking over cash-strapped Pakistan International Airlines, which has some 17,000 employees but just 36 aircraft — and 10 of them are grounded due to a lack of spare parts.

“Most probably we will need large aircraft but cargo capacity is important for us. It is under discussion at high levels in the board now at Turkish Airlines,” Levent Konukcu, senior vice-president of investment management at Turkish Airlines.

Mohammad Zubair told Reuters that no decision had been taken on the buyer, but he mentioned Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways — the Gulf giants that dominate the regional sector — as possibilities.

urkish Airlines is studying options for further additions to its fleet of Airbus and Boeing passenger aircraft, but has made no decisions.

He said the airline was looking at the Boeing 787, the Airbus A350, up to A380, or the Boeing 777X.

Airbus and Boeing have been trying to sell their largest aircraft, the 525-seat A380 and 467-seat 747-8, to Turkish Airlines as it seeks to use its geographical position and popularity as a final destination to capture traffic from both European rivals and the mainly transit-based Gulf carriers. 

Russian airlines to get 16 Sukhoi Superjets

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EB Leasing will provide $465 million for the purchase of 16 Sukhoi SuperJet-100 (SSJ100) planes

by Russian airlines, VEB President Vladimir Dmitriyev said. He said ten of these planes would go to Aeroflot.

The VEB Supervisory Council approved credit lines to VEB Leasing to finance the purchase of the planes for Russian airlines. The bank will also increase the

credit line up to $2.5 billion for advancing Russian aircraft to foreign markets.

Sukhoi SuperJet-100 is a 100-seat plane and can fly for a distance of up to 3,048 kilometres. The company plans to offer a business version of the plane in 2015.

Sukhoi expects to sell 800 aircraft until the year 2024, while the global demand for the aircraft of this class totals 5,400.

So far the company had secured 73 solid orders for the aircraft. 

The government is aiming to raise around $4 billion this fiscal year from the sale of stakes in several companies, anticipating demands that the government hold onto PIA and nurse it back to health itself. 

Henan airlines to operate 100 routes

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hina’s newest airline opened for business and plans to operate more than 100 routes to 32 cities at home and abroad. It’s the first regional airline to open in Henan and gives an added boost to economic development in the province, and the whole of central China.

Sixty percent of the company’s shares are owned

by China Southern Airlines. The other 40 percent are held by a state-owned investment company in Zhengzhou.

Chinese authorities hope more low-budget airlines will join the market, forcing ticket prices lower.

Seven new regional airline companies have been approved this year in China, including Inner Mongolia Airlines and Urumqi Airlines.  November 2014

19

Opinion

European airlines financially weakest Spain are better connected by air, and Latvia is better connected than comparable economies such as Denmark and Norway. Riga International Airport offers 83 destinations and handles more passengers than Vilnius and Tallinn’s airports combined.

By Tony Tyler Director General & CEO IATA

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atvian passenger air travel is set to grow upwards of 4.5 per cent on average for the next few years, and cargo growth will not be far behind that.

In terms of air connectivity, by European standards, Latvia is well-connected for its size. Only Ireland, Switzerland, Portugal and

Given that Latvia was only relatively recently able to assert its independence; its integration into the global economy has been remarkable.

Any way you look at it, aviation is a big business, and it helps other businesses to grow. Commercial flight has made the world a smaller place. It has brought greater understanding of our planet’s incredible diversity of cultures, races and religions. It has fostered the spread of education, ideas and innovations.

It has been an undoubted force for

good. It is incumbent on industry and policy-makers to work closely together to ensure a strong, safe, secure and sustainable air transport system.

From January 2015, Latvia will take on the Presidency of the European Union. This is a critical opportunity to influence the direction of the European Union, and particularly to help strengthen the air transport sector in the region.

The 200-plus airlines in the EU’s 28 member-states support 9.2 million jobs and about $660 billion of Europe’s GDP. They connect a continent that accounts for 10 per cent of the world’s population and is the largest single economy on the planet.

It is a fact that European airlines are financially the weakest amongst the

world’s major regions. We expect European airlines to realize a posttax net profit of $2.8 billion this year. I believe the reason for this poor financial record is the competitive disadvantages that Europe’s governments place in their way.

The industry in Europe is overtaxed, onerously regulated and suffers from a chronically mismanaged ATM system, insufficient airport capacity and overall costs for infrastructure that are too high.

There is a stark contrast between Europe and much of Asia and the Middle East, where many governments value aviation more for the longterm economic development.  Excerpts from his public lecture at the University of Latvia during the first-ever visit by IATA Director General & CEO to Latvia

Refresh business focus to compete and win

By Raymond L. Conner President & CEO Boeing Commercial Airplanes

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ncreasingly, the airplanes we roll out of our factories are headed for customers outside the US. In the last 10 years, we’ve received orders from customers in more than 70 countries. We have an opportunity to build on our impressive performance as we compete for a $4.8 trillion market for 35,000 airplanes over the next 20 years.The world has become more interconnected, not less, and as a

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November 2014

result businesses and governments are becoming more global – much like the aviation industry. Aviation is a powerful force for shaping our world. By taking steps to remain competitive in a challenging industry environment, we will ensure that Washington continues to benefit from the jobs, revenue and technological skills we contribute to this region.

Although the vast majority of our production system and supply chain is in Washington and the US, our customers span the globe, and those markets are shifting. In 1992, North American and European airlines carried more than 70 percent of all air traffic. Less than 20 years from now, that proportion will shrink to 39 percent as emerging nations continue to leverage aviation as a tool for economic development.

At the same time, the efficiency and range of our new airplanes

is allowing carriers to open up new, direct routes.For example, Emirates launched direct travel between Seattle and Dubai with the 777.

Today, while regions outside North America, such as the Middle East, Latin America and Africa are seeing tremendous growth, the Asia Pacific region – which includes China, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania – is the fastest-growing aviation market in the world.

Over the next 20 years, we forecast that Chinese airlines alone need nearly 6,000 new airplanes valued at $780 billion.

And project that nearly half the world’s air traffic growth will be driven by travel to, from or within Asia Pacific. That means more than four out of every 10 airplanes we build, will deliver to the Asia Pacific region.

The realities of our business require us to constantly renew and refresh our focus to ensure we can compete and win.

In order to win and maintain customers, we must throughout our supply chain drive productivity, increase profitability, deliver innovation and, more importantly – provide unmatched value to our customers – at a competitive price.

To sum up, global aviation has opened up enormous opportunities for us to connect and shape the world while strengthening our economies and our communities back home.

At Boeing Commercial Airplanes, global markets will continue to be a growing share of our business.  Excerpts from the speech at the annual meeting of the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle

Opinion

Airline plays an ambassadorial role The arrival of the Dreamliner is excellent news for our country and the region. It paves the way for the Kenya Airways to further deepen our trade connections with the world, especially through long haul flights.

By Uhuru Kenyatta President Republic of Kenya

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am delighted to celebrate yet another milestone in the growth trajectory of our national carrier, Kenya Airways.

It is only in November last year that we unveiled the Boeing 777.

The airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been acquired as part of Kenya Airways’ 10-year fleet renewal Business Plan, Project Mawingu.

I have no doubt; this will result in the growth of trade, tourism and other forms of interaction with the rest of the world. This is important for two of our priorities as a government – to attract investment and to create jobs.To support Kenya Airways, the government has been expanding the airport facilities.

There is progress in building a new temporary terminal with a capacity of 2.5 million passengers a year – equivalent to this airport’s current facility. A new 20 million passenger terminal is also already under construction.

We are confident, the standard of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will, indeed, be significantly enhanced as an international hub.

We are determined that this airport will fulfill its mandate as the air hub for East and Central Africa. We know that infrastructure development is critical to economic growth.

That is why we embrace infrastructure development whole-heartedly.

With Kenya Airways flying to 61 destinations in 2013 and the planned expansion to 117 destinations, the airline has more global presence than the embassies that Kenya has opened around the world. This means the airline will continue to be, in most cases, the first contact the world has with Kenya. That comes with great responsibility.

As a window showcasing Kenya, the airline has to continuously

work to ensure passengers have something positive to remember about the country. As Kenya Airways expands, it must look at the factors of productivity as it is operating in a global context.

I am informed that our labour is less productive than our closest competitor, the Ethiopian Airline.

Any legacy arrangements that may have worked in a fairly stable operating environment need to be challenged in this period of rapid growth to ensure that we get the best possible results from a productivity perspective.The growth of Kenya Airways is important for our tourism sector. The contribution of our national carrier in facilitating this will be crucial.  Excerpts from the speech at the Kenya Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner launch at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Air travel forever changed since 9/11 over by the terrorists, held private ceremonies at their respective gates.As we observed the 13th anniversary of the tragedies, it comes with a grim reminder about the future scenario of air travel.

By Rich Thomaselli Author & Editor

For now, life will go on for the airline industry, forever changed – and forever changing – in the wake of terrorist attacks. What’s changed since that fateful day of September 11, 2001?

n September 11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) observed two moments of silence at Logan International Airport in Boston – where two of the three planes used in the September 11, 2001 attacks departed from.

Rules. Procedures. And just a way of life in terms of air travel.The TSA was created in the wake of 9/11 and that federal department now runs airport security. Prior to 9/11, airport security was in the hands of private companies. The TSA is funded by the September 11 Security Fee, which is tacked on by airlines on the cost of a ticket.

American Airlines and United Airlines, whose airplanes were taken

Delays and long lines became more common as the TSA in-

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stantly implemented a 100 percent baggage check at all US airports to screen for explosives.

As a result, such programs as the TSA Pre-Check were implemented as frequent travelers could apply for what amounted to special dispensation, of sorts – pre-approval to bypass regular security checkpoints for special (and quicker) TSA approved lines.“Watch Lists” and “No Fly Lists” were also introduced as the TSA began to rigorously screen questionable passengers.

Many airports have now introduced full-body scanners at security checkpoints and still ask customers to remove their footwear before going through security.

Unticketed passengers may not go through security to the gates without written prior approval from the respective airline.What we can take on flights has dramatically changed. Only water and

soda bottles purchased in the gate area, after going through security, are allowed on the aircraft. Any bottles a passenger tries to carry through security will be confiscated.

In addition, travelers may not carry liquids, gels or aerosols in quantities greater than three ounces in their carry-on, and all items must be placed in a clear plastic bag for security.

Yes, life has changed for air travelers. Some take it in stride. Others are upset by more stringent standards. Others still have gone as far as to sue the federal government over having to now show government-issued identification.

But there hasn’t been another incident like 9/11 since.And hopefully there never will be.  Excerpts from his column about 9/11 reminisces in Travel Alliance

November 2014

21

In Focus

How big can airplanes get?

Created by Spanish designer Oscar Vinals, the Sky Whale would be bigger than the double-deck Airbus A-380 currently the biggest airliner in the world-and would be more technologically advanced. Could this three-decker plane with a 755 passenger capacity and resembling a whale, be the future of commercial flight?

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oeing forever changed aviation in 1970 when it introduced its 747 jumbo jet, whose size and range revolutionized flying. The world’s number one maker of commercial aircraft is undertaking a radical makeover of its smaller Boeing 777, the world’s biggest twin-engine jet which United Airlines first placed into service in June 1995, and its new 777X model will boast the biggest engines ever put on a plane.

The 777X will be the first twin-engine jet able to ply long-haul routes with payloads comparable to the larger jumbos.

Boeing’s European rival, Airbus, caught the world of engineering by storm in April 27, 2005 with its A380, the largest passenger plane in the world.

Within a year’s time, 166 planes were ordered by different airlines around the world, Emirates Airlines, which currently is the world’s largest operator of A380s with a dedicated A380 terminal at Dubai International Airport.

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several companies in the Airbus consortium started a joint feasibility study of an aircraft known as the Very Large Commercial Transport (VLCT) with a projected $15 billion development cost.

The double-decker A380 made its first flight in April 2005 and entered commercial service in October two years later with Singapore Airlines.

In mid-1988, Airbus engineers led

by Jean Roeder started working secretly on the development of an ultra-high-capacity airliner (UHCA), both to complete its own range of products and to break the dominance that Boeing had enjoyed in this market segment since the early 1970s with its 747.

Experts say to build an aircraft larger than the A380 would be profoundly cost prohibitive to the airports and it is doubtful that most runways could handle more than the 1.2 million pound max takeoff weight of an A380 without serious reinforcement.The 747-800 is longer than the A380 but A380 is certainly taller as it encompasses of two decks.

The megaproject was announced at the 1990 Farnborough Air Show and in January 1993 Boeing and

With regard to size and capacity, the A380 can hold more passengers (525-853 depending on configura-

November November 2014 2014

The Sky Whale would have a wingspan of 88m compared to 80 metres for an Airbus A380 and 64 metres for a Boeing 747 tion) when compared to the 467 passengers on 747 (regardless of seating configurations) and is also heavier.

One question crops up in our minds: Is this these going to be the ultimate size of passenger aircraft or the future will see even bigger aircraft? The answer is yes if one goes by the concept airplane unveiled recently by a Spanish designer which can take up 755 passengers and looks like a space craft.

One cannot be faulted for having reservations about its commercial feasibility in the near future but the concept is undoubtedly sounds unique. It should be noted that

Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 surfaced as a concept aeroplane and became a reality a few years later following massive developments to their designs.

The 77-metre-long Sky Whale has virtual reality windows and selfhealing wings that repair themselves. Designer Oscar Viñals said it would split passengers into three classes. Each would have their own deck in a modern-day version of the Titanic.

Everyone on board would have virtual reality windows for entertainment. It has three decks, tilting Harrier-style jets and breaks itself up into pieces during a crash landing - and could be the future of air

In Focus

travel. The airplane has double fuselage. The engines would tilt 45 degrees meaning the plane could land on runways anywhere in the world.

The AWWA Sky Whale is so big that it was described by critics as looking ‘more like something thought up for the Transformers movie franchise than a legitimate aircraft’. The tilting engines would make it possible for the Sky Whale to take off on the spot - and, according to the plans, if it crashes the passenger section would separate from the wings to reduce the loss of life.

The plane would seat 755 passengers, making it economically viable for an airline. The Sky Whale would be built out of advanced new materials made up of ceramic or fibre composites.

It would also have advanced ‘active wings’ powered by a hybrid turboelectric propulsion system making them much more efficient than today. The Sky Whale would have a wingspan of 88m compared to 80 metres for an Airbus A380 and 64 metres for a Boeing 747.

According to Vinals’ concept plans, the giant aircraft would be powered by three Harrier-style jets and feature a double fuselage, meaning it could go longer without refuelling.

There would also be micro solar cells on the wings that could draw power from the sun.

The Sky Whale would also be longer than current commercial aircraft at 77 metres. By comparison, the

The Sky Whale would have a wingspan of 88m compared to 80 metres for an Airbus A380 and 64 metres for a Boeing 747 Airbus A380 is 67.9 metres long while the Boeing 747 is 76 metres long.In addition to being able to land on small runways, the tilting engines would also make it possible for the plane to take off on the spot.

tion would separate from the wings to reduce the loss of life. The effect of all the technology is to reduce drag, fuel consumption and weight, making it one of the greenest aircrafts imaginable.

These engines would be controlled by a fly-by wire system assisted with active sensors located through the plane’s surface

Viñals said: “The disposition of the wings and its architecture separates from the airplane’s fuselage like a security measure, that in a hypothetical fatal case of an emergency landing, these could auto-break up to reduce the damages on the passengers section.”

In addition to being able to land on small runways, the tilting engines would also make it possible for the plane to take off on the spot. These engines would be controlled by a fly-by wire system assisted with active sensors located through the plane’s surface If the Sky Whale has to make a crash landing, the passenger sec-

In his proposal, Viñals said the Sky Whale is a concept about the ‘future green aircraft’ designs for the regular airline’s planes of the 21st century. It is a mixture between today’s airplanes and future concepts based in blended wing body or hybrid wing body architecture.’

“Travelling in the Sky Whale could be like a travelling in your private ‘theatre seat’, enjoying what happens around you; hearing some air flow noise, but feeling safe inside a big and intelligent structure,” Vinals says.

Dr Michael Jump, lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of Liverpool, remarked: “It’s people challenging through their imaginations. It’s the engineering

community’s opportunity to either say ‘that’s a good idea, let’s try and make it happen’, or ‘it’s less of a good idea, and this is the reason why’”.He says there are three factors to consider when evaluating the design of an aircraft, collectively known as the Breguet Range equation. This can be used as an estimate of efficiency.

They are: propulsive efficiency (how efficient are your engines?), aerodynamic efficiency (is lift maximized and drag minimized?) and structural efficiency (how much payload can you carry?).

A cylinder is also a structurally efficient way to contain pressure, which aircraft must do to maintain the right air pressure for passengers when flying at high altitude.

Mark Drela, Professor in the department of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, agrees. “Airplanes look the way they do, not because of some stylistic decision, but almost entirely for technical reasons,” he says. “Form follows function.”But, Vinals says, Albert Einstein might have the last word on this: “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”

The project has been viewed on the website www.behance.net by 109785 people till now, generating only 1868 appreciations. 

Watch the video about Sky Whale at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=beLUm4sDZZ8 November November 2014 2014

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Cargo & Logistics

Boeing: Air cargo traffic to double in next 20 years

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oeing has projected air cargo traffic will grow at an annual rate of 4.7 percent over the next 20 years, with global air freight traffic expected to more than double by 2033.

“We see strong signs of a recovery as air freight traffic levels continue to strengthen after several years of stagnation. The air cargo market is now growing at nearly the long-term rates,” Randy Tinseth, Vice President of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.While releasing its biennial forecast at the International Air Cargo Forum and Exhibition in Seoul, Boeing said the

global air cargo traffic began to grow again in second quarter of 2013 with growth reaching 4.4 percent for the first seven months of 2014, compared to the same period a year earlier. If this trend continues, 2014 will be the highest growth year for the air freight industry since 2010.

Much of the weak air cargo growth in the previous years can be attributed to two principal causes – an underperforming world economy and lackluster trade growth, particularly in those traditional commodities served by the air cargo industry.

dnata to build new cargo terminal at DWC

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nata, part of Emirates Group, will start construction on a new cargo terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai World Central (DWC) in the second quarter of 2015.

Jon Conway, Senior Vice President — UAE airport operations, told Gulf News that the terminal is in the final design stage and could have an ultimate annual capacity of between 1 and 1.6 million tonnes.

Initial proposed capacity is 500,000 tonnes a year and construction on the modular designed terminal would be completed by the end of 2016.

He declined to state the size of investment citing commercial reasons because the project is yet to go out to tender. dnata will be

Asia-North America and Europe-Asia will continue to be the dominant world air cargo markets with the most traffic volume.

Intra-Asia, domestic China and Asia-North America markets are expected to have the fastest rates of growth over the next 20 years.

With increased air cargo traffic, the world freighter fleet is also expected to grow with deliveries of 840 new factory-built airplanes and 1,330 passengers to freighter conversion airplanes. 

Approval for Lufthansa Cargo, ANA freight joint venture

spending around AED20 million for ground support equipment and lounge development for Dubai International Airport’s new Concourse D, which will open next year and take the airports annual capacity from 75 million passengers a year to 90 million.

The new dnata terminal will be used to handle cargo from other airlines landing at DWC. The announcement follows the opening of a dedicated terminal earlier this year for Emirates’ SkyCargo operations at the airport.

Emirates’ DWC cargo terminal can handle 700,000 tonnes of capacity a year, according to previous statement from the airline, and has the potential to be expanded to 1 million tonnes of annual capacity. 

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ufthansa Cargo and All Nippon Airways (ANA) will launch a freight services joint venture between Europe and Japan to reduce costs in a tough cargo market, after gaining antitrust approval in Japan.

The airlines will cooperate on network planning, pricing, sales and handling by the end of this year in the first such cargo venture between two major global airlines, the companies said in a statement.

Cargo airlines have come under pressure as fast-growing passenger carriers such as Emirates and Turkish Airlines use larger planes on more routes, allowing them to transport more cargo in the holds, according to a Reuters report.Lufthansa Cargo, the freight arm of the German

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November 2014

airline, said earlier this year it was hoping to agree a first partnership deal in 2014, with a second to follow in 2015.

Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said in July the carrier was in talks with United Continental Holdings about working more closely on cargo operations.

Lufthansa and United already cooperate on passenger routes.

Air France and British Airways have scaled back the size of their cargo operations.

Lufthansa Cargo has lowered its profit aim for the year and also postponed a decision on whether to exercise an option for five more 777F freight planes.

Lufthansa and ANA already have a revenue-sharing agreement on passenger flights. 

Cargo & Logistics

LML allow airlines track temperature-sensitive freight

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nisys Corporation has announced new enhancements to the Unisys Logistics Management System (LMS) to allow airlines to better track and monitor sensitive air cargo such as pharmaceutical and perishable products.

Airlines transport temperaturesensitive cargo, such as pharmaceutical products, in containers that monitor key metrics such as temperature and dry ice levels.

Such goods must be kept within a specific range of environmental conditions throughout the transport lifecycle from when the cargo company accepts the goods until they are delivered. Airlines must keep accurate records to show that these conditions have been maintained. Typically this critical data is displayed on an LCD screen on the container and recorded manually in a paperbased system.

The new Pharmaceutical Product Handling feature of the Unisys LMS will automatically capture and store this critical data so that a full audit trail is available on demand. The new feature is expected to be available later this

year. LMS will use web services to communicate with networked monitoring devices on the containers to automatically transmit the log details, removing the need for manual data entry and improving data accuracy. 

Maximus Air plans cargo expansion in 2015

DHL opens pharma logistics center in Leipzig

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HL Global Forwarding has opened a new logistics center for the pharmaceuticals industry, in Leipzig, Germany.

of temperature controlled stations to support our customers’ global expansion and growth aspirations.”

The state-of-the-art facility, covering almost 3,000 square meters, is located in direct proximity to the Leipzig/Halle airport and serves as a competence center for the transport, transport preparation, temporary storage, and transport follow-up of active and passive temperature controlled pharmaceutical products.

Investment volumes in the new facility amount to around EUR3.4 million. The facility includes a 2,175-square-meter warehouse and office space of 600 square meters. In July 2014, it was certified in accordance with the good distribution practice guidelines, a quality system for logistics centers that handle medicinal products.

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ne year after temporarily grounding its A300 fleet amid low demand, and undergoing restructuring, the UAEbased cargo carrier Maximus Air is on the rise again.

Mohamed Ebrahim Al Qassimi, Maximus Air CEO, said that the largest all-freight airline in the country was planning an expansion in 2015.

“We are delighted about recent progress. Our aircraft are receiving more bookings right across the fleet and we are firming up plans for expansion in 2015. Our core business remains the same but we are looking at exciting new growth opportunities,” he said.

He said the opportunities include catering to increasing demand for VIP air cargo.

The airline is currently applying the finishing touches to a new freight forwarding business that will capitalize on the strong logistics industry in UAE. The company has received interest from key growth markets in Europe and Africa, and is looking at ways to expand its business in these regions. 

FMS market to be worth $39 billion by 2019

Angelos Orfanos, president, Life Sciences and Healthcare, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation, said: “With the opening of this new life sciences and healthcare competence center we are further expanding our network

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new study has forecasted that Freight Management System (FMS) market is expected to grow from $14.3 billion to $39.09 billion with a CAGR of 22.28 per cent from 2014-2019.

The Markets and Markets report outlines the key trends that will shape and evolution of the freight service industry. The report analyses global adoption trends, future growth potential, competitive outlook, freight management ecosystem, and the best practices in this market.

The huge economic and demographic growth has inflicted the growth of the freight industry.

The facilities are equipped with numerous temperature and humidity sensors that immediately sound an alarm should conditions fall outside of established parameters. 

The increase in the demand and supply has also posed various challenges which have become a major threat to the FMS market. The major restraints faced by the FMS market are the increase in the operational and maintenance cost, safety and security, cargo thefts, environmental issues, among others.

In order to face these challenges, the freight companies are adapting various Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions to make the system safer, more efficient, more reliable, and more environmentally friendly.  November 2014

25

Technology

Global AIS market to reach $3.4 billion by 2020

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ket share includes partnerships, agreements, collaborations, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and new product launches.

It said the AIS market is highly competitive, with a limited number of market players. This report studies the growth strategies adopted by the market players. The strategies adopted by the players to expand their global presence and increase their mar-

The increasing demand for enhanced airport information systems as well as high growth in the emerging market has encouraged the market players to adopt the growth strategies such as launching new innovative products.

Rockwell Collins (US), Ultra Electronics Holdings (UK), and SITA (Geneva) are some of the leading players that have adopted this strategy, to expand their business. 

new market research report published by Markets and Markets, forecasts that the global Airport Information Systems (AIS) market is estimated to be $2,640.61 million in 2014 and is projected to register a CAGR of 4.76 per cent, to reach $3,490.69 million, by 2020.

Airbus plans for sensory isolation helmets

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More-over it is known that aircraft flights generate stress for certain passengers,” the patent application says.

Designed by Frenchman Bernard Guering, the helmet looks like the stuff of Star Wars and would allow the wearer to fully immerse themselves in in-flight entertainment as it cancels out all other peripheral noise.

The patent suggests that placing passengers in partial or total “sensorial isolation” by piping audio and video directly into their eyes and ears -- and squirting “odorous substances” up their nose -- will help make all this go away.

The European aircraft manufacturer has filed a patent for the headgear which could help alleviate boredom, reduce stress and prevent injury via a mini-airbag system designed to deploy in the event of turbulence.“During aircraft flights, certain passengers have periods when they are bored either during a wait phase preceding take off or following landing or during a cruise phase.

“This isolation allows the passenger to better profit from some of the distractions offered, for example listening to music, watching films,” says the screed attached to the invention blueprints. “If the passengers is sensitive to stress, this isolation, possibly associated with one of the above-mentioned activities allows him/her to more easily calm down and relax.” 

irbus, the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer, has made a patent application in the US for a virtual reality isolation helmet.

Maiden flight of two-seater allelectric aircraft

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lovenia (Europe) aircraft maker, Pipistrel in partnership with Siemens AG, has developed an all-electric two-seater aircraft called WATTsUP and the aircraft made its maiden flight at the Salon de Blois airshow, France in August.

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Pipistrel expects to bring the final product to the market in 2015 with a target price below EUR100, 000. The company states that every single element of the aircraft has been refined to be lighter, more efficient and more reliable.

The 85 kW-electric motor weighs 14 kg and is more powerful than the popular Rotax 912 series, typically used on micro lights and LSAs.

hour, thanks to the next generation of Pipistrel’s Battery Management technology. The airframe uses proven features from hundreds of Pipistrel’s aircraft flying worldwide.

The 17 kWh battery pack is dual-redundant and designed to be either quickly replaceable within minutes or charged in less than one

Performance of the WATTsUP 2-seat electric trainer is tailored to the needs of flight schools. Short take-off distance, powerful

November 2014

1000+ fpm climb, and endurance of one hour plus a 30 minute reserve.

The WATTsUP is optimized for traffic-pattern operations, where 13 per cent of energy is recuperated on every approach, increasing endurance and at the same time enabling shortfield landings. 

Technology

Aireon offers global aircraft tracking

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atellite-based surveillance developer Aireon will provide a free emergency tracking system for aircraft when the satellite constellation it will use is launched and operating, as expected, in 2017. Aireon announced the service on September 22, saying the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 earlier this year makes global emergency tracking “essential.”

Aireon’s surveillance system will use automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) receivers contained as hosted payloads on new Iridium Next satellites to send position reports to subscribing air navigation service providers over oceanic and remote regions of the Earth beyond radar coverage.

Iridium plans to launch the second-generation constellation of 66 low-Earth-orbit satellites between 2015 and 2017.The Aireon Aircraft Locating and Emergency Response Tracking service, branded as Aireon Alert, will be provided as a “public service” to the aviation community, free of charge.

Operating from a 24-hour emergency call center, it will provide authorized search-andrescue organizations with the location and last flight track of any 1090-MHz ADS-B tran-

Technological leap for aviation propulsion

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new market study has asserted that the global aviation propulsion sector is on the brink of a technological leap with decades of research on technological evolution by key industry OEMs transpiring into next generation of aerospace propulsion systems that have been amongst the key drivers of significant replacement demand underway across the commercial and regional aviation segments.

Amongst engine manufacturers, CFM & Pratt & Whitney have been at the forefront of this R&D driven battle for supremacy of the regional & narrow-body segments of the aviation industry with their LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) and Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine technologies respectively. 

sponder-equipped aircraft flying in airspace without other surveillance. Airlines will not have to equip with new avionics.

(ALAS), tracking a round-trip flight between Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.

Aireon is a joint venture of Iridium Communications and ANSPs Nav Canada, Italy’s ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority and Denmark’s Naviair. Nav Canada will acquire a 51-percent interest in the venture by late 2017.

The test “marked the first time that a flight demonstration tested a dual-link (1090 MHz and Universal Access Transceiver) spacebased ADS-B system in all environments and for extended periods of time,” the companies said.

A competing ADS-B-based surveillance system is also progressing. ADS-B Technologies and Globalstar announced the completion of the latest flight demonstration of its spacebased ADS-B Link Augmentation System

The flight proved that the 1090ES and UAT versions of the ALAS technology work continuously, reporting the aircraft’s position every second during a flight of nearly 7,000 miles. 

FBI launches NGI system

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fter more than three years of development, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has announced in September the completion and full operation of its Next Generation Identification (NGI) System, a facial recognition system.

NGI will work in conjunction with its predecessor, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), which currently contains more than 100 million records of biometric data, including palm prints and iris scans. NGI will combine this data with collected facial images and link them to personal information such as name, age and address.

The system is said to be capable of processing 55,000 photos a day, as well as conducting tens of thousands of searches. By the end of its first year, the database is expected to hold 52 million faces. Most faces in the system are collected from criminal records.

But that does not make up the entire database.

The database is expected to include around 4.3 million images taken for noncriminal reasons by the end of the year. Though the database will be used by tens of thousands of US law enforcement agencies of all stripes, the efficacy of facial recognition has been called into question.  November 2014

27

Technology

Be smart.

Be successful Being smart is all about improvement and there’s no end to improvement in business, says Mohammed Fouz, CEO of Smartworld

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he company, which is behind the implementation of IT systems at Al Maktoum International Airport at DWC, Terminal 1 and 2 at Dubai International Airport, is spreading its wings to other vibrant economic sectors to attract small- and medium-sized companies at the DWC Business Park.

Establish in 2008 with a capital of AED110 million, Smartworld is a digital ICT service provider that delivers fully-integrated and comprehensive managed services across several sectors in the Middle East.

The definition of a service, product or place being “smart” is wide-ranging, and those specifically involved in the industry practically share one common thought: there is no definitive gauge of being smart — Dubai being no exemption to that extent.

Mohammad Fouz, CEO of Smartworld, told Via Dubai: “Our focus is to strengthen our position in the emirate and then move to Saudi Arabia and other African markets next year. It is easy for companies to open businesses at DWC as they don’t need to invest a lot on databases and security solutions.”

According to Gartner, the world’s leading technology markets research company “I think no city can actually claim at any point in time that it has gone completely smart,” Fouz said.

“Being smart or intelligent is all about improvement. So if you think there’s an end to improvement, then that’s a wrong assumption.”

The Dubai government, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has made several initiatives to transform the emirate into a smart city.

Smartworld — as its name implies — has all the tools necessary to make a big contribution to this.

“We try to work with these people and entities to see where we fit in and what value we can add to these initiatives,” Fouz said.

Take Dubai’s hosting of World Expo 2020; it is being tipped to be a smart event, with every project related to it being done in that direction.

Smartworld is an expert in managed services, smart-city concept programmes, remote infrastructure management, cloud services and a whole lot more. It offers end-to-end services, from helping in conceptualization to implementation and managing these.

Fouz stressed that all data collected in their undertakings reside within the bounds of the UAE. Smartworld is going above and beyond the call of duty to protect their customers’ data.

Smartworld has invested AED50 million on

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November 2014

Technology

two data centres located at the DWC Business Park and has invested AED5 million for upgrading it to the cloud.

We were pre-qualified as one of the strongest local companies

The company’s revenues grew 130 per cent last year and it aims to double it to 260 per cent this year.

Smartworld has a strong track record of successful deployments and implementations of state-of-the-art ICT systems in a number of giant national projects in UAE, including the IT system at Al Maktoum International Airport at DWC and the installation and implementation of a first-of-its-kind Open and Equal Access Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) at DWC. The company’s success is based upon its world-class IT infrastructure, a full spectrum of tailored high-value integrated services, extremely talented and well-trained team of engineers and consultants, quick response to customers’ needs and textbook-perfect adherence to schedules, budgets and quality standards.

The company hopes to win at least a couple of more projects by year-end. “We are hopeful of winning the tender for the Midfield Terminal Building project at Abu Dhabi Airports Company. We were pre-qualified as one of the strongest local companies,” he said.

At the GITEX 2014 exhibition, Smartworld unveiled new revolutionary services, which will dramatically change the business model of companies and establishments, include local cloud computing, remotely-managed ICT infrastructure and security services, and BizPark solutions.

Gartner, the leading ICT markets research company, predicts continued strong growth

from $1.81 billion in 2013, according to new research from Frost & Sullivan.

MSS saves at least 40 per cent of operating expenses (OPEX) compared to companies which have their own internal security operations center and teams.

in public cloud services, with end-user spending on public cloud services, which grew 18 per cent in 2013, to hit a global figure of $131 billion. By 2015, that same market could be worth more than $180 billion.

More than 2,204 cloud services are in use across three million users across financial services, healthcare, high tech, manufacturing, media and services industries.

On an average, 545 cloud services are in use by an organization on average, and the highest number of cloud services used by an organization is 1,769.

Bizpark services provided to existing small and medium companies and new start-ups in all UAE free zones and business incubators, which house more than 15,000, allow them to reduce operational capital needed to start their businesses.

Bizpark line of services include computers, tablets, smart phones, telephone lines and internet, networks security, E-mail and private and public cloud computing.

According to Gartner, the world’s leading technology markets research company, the global spending on IT will reach $3.8 trillion in 2014, a 3.1 per cent rise over the 2013 spending.

Managed Security Services (MSS) are of a paramount importance to companies facing an increasing wide range of varied and constantly changing threats.

The Middle East is one of the fastest growing IT markets in the world, with $211 billion earmarked for IT spending in 2014, an eight per cent increase over the 2013 spending, and this figure is expected to jump to $243 billion by 2018, which represent 5.6 per cent of global IT spending.

The managed security services market will become a $3.25 billion industry by 2018, up

Business IT spending in UAE alone is expected to reach $4.63 billion in 2014. 

November 2014

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