VIA DUBAI ENGLISH SEPTEMBER 2019

Monthly Newsletter issued by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority

www.viadubaionline.com

Issue 76 September 2019

Accessible Airports

DXB retains its top global position Lost and Found Journeys

Entertainment in the Skies

Flying within limits Inside DCAA

Nasir Al Najjar

Tech-ready for the big tech show

Opinions Transatlantic aviation partnership a role model

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Middle East News 24

DCAA raises awareness of commercial, private and emergency helicopter operators

Airlines 28

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Henrik Bololei

ATM 29

Climate change panic

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Alan Joyce

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Technology 31

Message

from the President

Readying for Expo 2020

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hen the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) met in Paris in 2013, it selected, on merits, Dubai to host the first-ever World Expo in the MEASA region. Five cities bid to host the 168-year-old global event – world’s third biggest after Olympics and FIFA World Cup, but Dubai succeeded at the last minute.

Dubai is leaving no stone unturned to make an aweinspiring venue with a built-up area of 4.38 square kilometres, including a dedicated exhibition zone of two square kilometres. With the participation of 219 countries, it will attract 25 million visitors.

The Expo’s impact will be far-reaching to several industries, especially aviation and tourism. A report by Ernst & Young (EY) says the six-month duration event will support over 900,000 jobs and contribute AED123 billon of GVA to the economy until 2031.

Emirates Airlines (EK) will have an ultra-modern pavilion, with a focus on the future of commercial aviation. It has installed bespoke liveries on its 40 aircraft. EK is promoting the event through its in-flight entertainment system which has a dedicated Expo channel. It is also distributing Expo-inspired amenity kits in six different designs to passengers.

Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

According to a General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) study, a total of 18.7 million people will use UAE national carriers to be in Dubai. The aviation sector will handle massive volume of visitors smoothly as the facilities have been expanded for efficient air traffic operations.

Emirati nationals will be put at the forefront in terms of flight crews as well as operational and ground staff in the airports.

Dubai airports are being readied to receive the Expo visitors. The organisers have developed a unique program to attract 30,000 volunteers of nationalities. The Expo will add value to the country’s competitiveness and attractiveness as one of the world’s most-desirable destinations.

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‫صاحب السمو الشيخ خليفة بن زايد آل نهيان‬ ‫رئيس الدولة‬

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the UAE

In 2007, the functions of the Department of Civil Aviation were restructured. Accordingly, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) was established as a regulatory body, by a decree of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, on proclamation of law No. 21 of 2007, as amended by law No. 19 of 2010, to undertake development of Air Transport Industry in the Emirate of Dubai and to oversee all aviation-related activities.

CONTENTS

Inside DCAA 08

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.

DCAA raises awareness of commercial, private and emergency helicopter operators

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Emirati Women’s Day 2019

General Supervision Mohammed Abdulla Ahli Coordinator Hanan Al Mazimi

DCAA Interview

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

10 Nasir Al Najjar

Tech-ready for the big tech show

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.

UAE in Focus 14

DXB retains its top global position

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Etihad partners with Swiss blockchain platform

Advertise with us

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

Our Vision

The World Airport, Dubai

Our Mission

To achieve leadership and ensure sustainability in the field of safety, security and environmental protection in the civil aviation sector and to support an attractive investment environment for the aviation industry .

Toll Free:80083222 Contact number:+97147770000 Fax:+97142244573 Email: info@dcaa.gov.ae; dcaa@dcaa.gov.ae http://www.facebook.com/dcaadubai

DCAA website:www.dcaa.gov.ae Working Hours:Sunday – Thursday, 0730 - 1430 (GMT+4) Location:Dubai International Airport, Terminal (1), Level (1), Gate no. (4), (Arrivals Side) P.O. Box:49888 Dubai - United Arab Emirates twitter.com/dcaadubai

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youtube.com/user/dcaadubai

Message

from the Director General

A visionary par excellence

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hen he arrived in Dubai it had no airport and construction of it began two years for the facility with a runway made of compacted sand, Norman William Turnbull had no idea that he will be playing an important role in Dubai and will be living here for the next 62 years developing from the civil aviation, a key economic activity contributing now US$80 billion to the country’s economy.

Hailing from the borders between Scotland and England, Norman was a true Turnbull like many border families who loved wandering as they wish. He truly fell in love with the old world charm of Arabia and pitched his tent to stay put until his last days.

A pioneer and visionary with a go-getting approach to work, he carried out his tasks well under three generations of Dubai rulers and contributed enormously to the civil aviation. After serving in the RAF and BOAC, he turned his attention towards the Trucial States by joining the International Aero Radio Limited (IAL), which is now part of the SERCO, provider of ATC services in Dubai since 1967. After five years with IAL at Abu Dhabi Airport, he moved lock, stock and barrel to Sharjah to effectively manage for four years its airport, the first in the Trucial States since 1932.

A day before Trucial States became history with the UAE becoming a federation in December 1971, he took the crucial responsibility at Dubai Airport as its Manager, a time when the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) was managing it. His arrival was exactly four years after his crucial role in persuading Dubai to go ahead with the provision of ATC services. During his tenure at the DCA, a forerunner to DCAA till 2007, he contributed immensely to all aspects of airport operations and trained Emiratis

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Mohammed Abdulla Ahli

which helped Dubai being in the select club of 12 airports which played host to one billion passengers.

I had the privilege of working with him after I joined as the Operations Director at DCA in 1982. In 1985, Turnbull was on the inaugural flight of Emirates which started off with just two leased aircraft and is now the world’s largest international airline and the world’s largest Boeing 777 operator. In 1989, he opened the Emirates Flying School.

His association with Dubai continues even after his death symbolically with his two grandsons working as pilots with the Dubai Air Wing, home to the ruling family’s private airliner. A fitting tribute to him is the achievement of DXB becoming the world’s largest airport with nearly 90 million passengers annually. Dubai has in place aviation strategy up to the year 2050 as part of the DCAA’s vision to make Dubai the Airport of the World. ​​

Inside DCAA

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DCAA News

Year of Tolerance

Tolerance as Soft Power

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he UAE has turned tolerance into its soft power and is now a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous place on earth.

Tolerance has been an essential virtue and a guiding principle for UAE’s people. Since the days of UAE Founder-President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE has viewed all human beings as members of one global society.

The country is focused on promoting tolerance and undertaking continued societal and legislative initiatives that fight hate, promote mutual respect and celebrate our shared

human values. It was the UAE’s successful tolerance record that drew Pope Francis to visit the country, the first-ever by a pontiff to the Arabian Peninsula.

There is no doubt that tolerance is one of the greatest values that elevates the status of societies and nations, enhancing their soft power.

Tolerance has made the UAE a favourite destination for tourists and residents. There is a close correlation between the concepts of tolerance and soft power, with its diverse definitions. The term soft power, coined by the US intellectual Joseph Nye in the early 1990s, describes a state’s ability to influence the behaviour of others through attraction and persuasion, rather than coercion.

The UAE is one of the countries that possess the ‘strength of being an inspiring model’. The world certainly need a similar mind-set and vision for making the world a better place for the future generations.

The UAE’s pursuance of tolerance has contributed to the Arab country being seen by the people, especially youths, as a model nation.

DCAA raises awareness of commercial, private and emergency helicopter operators

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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) works to maintain the safety of Dubai airspace at all times, and is committed to ensure the safety of helicopters in the emirate and also maintain the safety of Dubai’s helipads.

Based on the above, DCAA is seeking to raise the awareness of commercial, private and emergency helicopter operators, and is inviting them to register all helipads located in Dubai by the end of 2019.

The Authority is also organising direct field visits to operators’ headquarters, where a team from the Aerodrome Safety Section of DCAA’s Aviation Safety and Environment Sector is

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providing registration guidelines through awareness raising campaigns and direct communication with operators.

The ultimate aim of such endeavour is to ensure the continuity of safe operations and compliance with local and federal laws and standards, in addition to the application of best international practices.

In 2019, the Authority organised 63 field visits and inspections on the aerodromes of the Emirate of Dubai. It managed to document and identify 179 helipads used for various commercial, non-commercial (private) and emergency (hospitalisation and evacuation) purposes. In continuing

these campaigns, DCAA expects to increase the number of field visits and identify new aerodromes in the Emirate.

Interested parties can visit the Authority’s official website at: https://www.dcaa.ae or call the Customers’ Happiness Section at: +97147770000 or 80093222.

DCAA News

Emirati Women’s Day 2019

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he Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) celebrated Emirati Women’s Day in recognition of its female employees and appreciation of their efforts and dedication in the service of the society.

This year’s celebrations of this annual initiative, launched by H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the “Mother of the Nation, comes under the slogan of “Women, the Symbol of Tolerance” in confirmation of Emirati women’s significant role in spreading the culture of tolerance and cohesion within their families and wider communities.

Speaking on this occasion, H.E Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General of DCAA, said: “the UAE’s celebration of Emirati Women’s

Day, which has become a national occasion we celebrate each year, asserts the UAE’s pride and esteem of the role played by the daughter of the nation, and its trust in her abilities that enabled her to make many achievements on all levels and virtually all fields, in light of the vision of our wise leadership and the boundless government support aimed at upgrading the positioning of this generous country.

The occasion is celebrated this year under the slogan “Women, the Symbol of Tolerance” based on the role Emirati women play in instilling the concept of tolerance and deepening its principles in our society; her pride in her customs,

traditions and heritage, her openness to different cultures and her ability to accommodate all variables do all make her a symbol of tolerance, coexistence and openness,”.

“Big thanks and appreciation for all efforts Emirati Women do with the aim of promote and advance their homeland. Wishing the Mother of the Nation and Emirati Women all the best,” Al Ahli added.

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DCAA Interview

Nasir Mohamed Al Najjar, Head of Technical Service & Support Section, Information Technology Department

Tech-ready for the big tech show T

he Technical Service & Support Section of the Information Technology Department of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority is set to showcase at the GITEX Technology Show a number of achievements and the latest systems and solutions that facilitate the various transactions and customer service.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) is working to continually improve its performance with the aim to upgrade the quality of its customer service offering and to accelerate completion times up to record-breaking levels.

DCAA is keeping abreast of the rapid developments in Dubai, which the authorities and institutions are in constant quest for leadership and competition on a global level.

Nasir Al Najjar, Head of the Technical Services and Support Section, spoke to ViaDubai about the technological achievements and new solutions to serve the customer efficiently as well as the preparedness to showcase them at the GITEX Technology Week as part of the Smart Dubai government platform.

The Technical Services and Support Section of DCAA has launched a number of efficient and more advanced new services and initiatives during the year. The Section is set to showcase the latest systems and solutions that facilitate the various transactions and customer service.

A Collection of Achievements

Al Najjar spoke about a list of achievements made by the Section during this year. “Aoun” (Assistance) is

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the first of the these achievements and is launched with a view to providing the Authority’s employees and customers using DCAA’s smart e-services with solutions to enable them fix the different technical problems they encounter in a duration of 30 minutes to two hours maximum.

“Aoun” is a 24/7 smart system that can be accessed by the Authority’s employees via smart phones or the website from anywhere in the world.

The system allows easy access to the technical department to raise, define and solve the problem quickly. The system does also enable employees and customers alike to track completion status of their requests without having to resolve to any other means.

“Aoun” is characterised by its ability to minimise the number and volume of technical problems on the longterm. Since its launch, the number of problems has now been halved from 300 to about 150.

It also enables employees to solve technical problems by themselves with the added value of making them better technically educated. “Aoun” has provided assistance to about 150 employees and 2,000 customers since the beginning of this year.

Participation in GITEX

“DCAA is participating in GITEX 2019 as part of the Smart Dubai government platform.

It took a dedicated team from the Authority several months to prepare for the event, through which we are showcasing our new services, including ‘Aoun’, the Violations System and the Awareness Campaign,” he said.

“GITEX is an opportunity to introduce new smart systems, innovative solutions developed by the Authority for the public, in addition to strengthening the positioning of DCAA in the government of Dubai and learn about the solutions and systems provided by various other authorities participating in the event, so that each would benefit from the services and solutions of the other party” Al Nasir said.

He indicated that this year’s edition of GITEX will witness the introduction of the new UAE Pass system, which allows access to any government authority in Dubai using a single access code.

UAE Pass is a comprehensive government system launched in collaboration with Dubai Smart Government, and DCAA joined this system as of August 2019.

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Cover Story

Accessible Airports Technology is helping People of Determination navigate the airports like never before

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ike any other customer-facing industry, ensuring the flow of passenger with disabilities is crucial to the airport industry. This presents a challenge, particularly when considering the varying needs of all passengers using airports daily. Travelling by air can be one of the most exciting experience for normal people, but passengers with disabilities are apprehensive of aeroplanes and often find airports incredibly stressful. In this age, having a disability or reduced mobility no longer restricts where one can and can’t go. There

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are numerous regulations that govern disabled passenger rights across the world. These all ensure passengers

have support for a wheelchair or other guided assistance to board, deplane, or connect to another flight, regardless

Cover Story

of origin or destination. The Airports Council International (ACI) has come out with an updated version of its Airports & Persons with Disabilities Handbook to help airports enhance the accessibility of air travel for persons with disabilities.

Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World which represents operators of 1,960 airports in 176 countries, said: “Ensuring that airports are accessible and easy to use for all passengers is an objective for all operators.

Airports recognise the importance of accommodating the needs of all people using the facilities and working in their environment. ACI is confident that it will contribute significantly towards the goal of barrier-free airports.�

Life-changing technologies

Newer technologies are profoundly life-changing for people who encounter barriers in their day-to-day lives due to the impairments. The Assistive Technology is helping eliminate or reduce barriers. Today, an estimated over 4,000 Assistive technologies are available for people with disabilities, covering diverse fields including communication, information technology, healthcare, rehabilitation, education, banking and financial services to

Ensuring that airports are accessible and easy to use for all passengers is an objective for all operators. assist people who are blind, deaf and physically challenged.

The WHO estimates the number of people needing assistive devices ranging from wheelchairs to communication technologies to double to two billion by 2050. According to the EHSIS survey, there are an estimated 70 million people aged 15 and above in the European Union (EU) with disabilities.

For them, mobility was cited as one area which creates the greatest barrier to their travel.

In the Middle East, there are 50 million people with disabilities. Airports are constantly adapting to accommodate passengers with a range of hidden disabilities, often with the help of cutting edge-technology, ranging from smart glasses for blind travellers to sensory rooms for passengers with autism.

The Helping Hand

The Handbook is intended to help airports enhance the accessibility of air travel for persons with disabilities, including those with reduced mobility and hidden disabilities.

New sections include: Best practices to accommodate passengers with sensory disabilities; Content on technology and innovative solutions for flight information displays, check-in kiosks, mobile platforms, online tools and phone apps; and Examples of leading-edge practices such as accessible toilet facilities, sign language videophone booths, wayfinding and signage.

The ACI Asia-Pacific General Assembly, at its meeting in Hong Kong, has recommended that aviation needs to accommodate persons with visible and invisible disabilities who fly, including persons with reduced mobility (PRM).

Due to a steady increase in life expectancy globally, the number of persons with disabilities, PRM, elderly travelers and others is increasing fast.

In line with an expected doubling of air passenger traffic by 2034, catering for the needs of persons with disabilities is likely to be one of the main facilitation challenges faced by airports in the coming years.

ACI World Annual General Assembly (WAGA) has adopted a resolution which affirms airports’ commitment to accessibility of their facilities for passengers with disabilities. The resolution brings the attention of all airports to this critical issue and urges the implementation of best practices that meet or exceed regulatory requirements.

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UAE in Focus

DXB retains its top global position

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ubai International Airport (DXB) has maintained its position as the world’s biggest international airport by traffic volume during the first half of 2019, despite decline in flights redeployment during a runway closure.

cent to 178,383. India was the top destination market for passengers from DXB during the first half (5.7 million travellers), followed by Saudi Arabia (3.1 million) and the UK (2.8 million).

The airport welcomed 41.3 million passengers during January-June, even though many flights were reallocated to Al Maktoum International-Dubai World Central (DWC) as DXB’s southern runway underwent a complete refurbishment.

The fall in traffic at DXB was partially offset by a spike in traffic at DWC, where many flights were redirected during the runway closure at DXB. Dubai Airports reported that passenger traffic at DWC more than doubled year-on-year during the first six months of 2019 to 1.2 million, compared to 517,813 in the first half of 2018.

The 45-day closure meant the number of flights into DXB dropped 11.6 per

Etihad partners with Swiss blockchain platform

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tihad Airways has teamed up with open-source travel platform Winding Tree to explore using blockchain to distribute products and services without the need for third parties such as Sabre.

The UAE national carrier is one of several airlines and hotels that have partnered with Switzerland-based firm to bypass intermediaries using the distributed ledger technology.

These include Air Canada, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa as well as aviation services company Swissport, and hotels such as Nordic Choice and Airport Hotel Basel.

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Air Vistara to start daily direct flights to Dubai

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ndia’s Air Vistara, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, started operating daily direct flights to Dubai from Mumbai. It is its second international destination. The airline will use its Airbus A320neo aircraft with three-class cabin configuration to fly to and from Dubai.

In January 2015, Vistara started its operations and now serves 26 destinations with over 1200 flights a week with a fleet of 23 Airbus

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A320 and six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft. The airline expects to end 2019 with 41 aircraft, up from 30 at present. It is inducting six airplanes, including four Boeing 737s, to fuel its expansion plan.

These Boeing 737s were earlier flown

by Jet Airways and will have two class configurations (12 business and 156 economy seats). It will use the airplanes on domestic routes and will open three new destinations.

UAE has zero tolerance approach to tipsy pilots

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he UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is taking a hard-line approach to pilots flying under the influence of alcohol and has carried out 22 alcohol tests since 2018, with action taken against those testing positive.

The random breathalyser tests are in a bid to drive up safety standards.

A couple of pilots tested positive during the procedures and action was taken against them. It did not disclose the number of pilots found to be under the influence of alcohol or the sanctions they faced.

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Special Report

Emirates Aviation University

A Scientific Edifice Touching the Sky

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mirates Aviation University (EAU) ranks highest among the prestigious universities of the region, and is the leading educational institution in the Middle East in the field of delivering aviation engineering, aviation management, business administration and aviation safety and security education.

It has witnessed a gradual growth changing in 2014 from a small college into an integrated university that provides today more than 44 programmes in numerous educational fields; the thing that confirms growth of demand on high quality education in the UAE, where the EAU has continued its quest for expansion and has strengthened its unique position at the very heart of the aviation education industry.

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Creative thinking

“The Emirates Aviation University provides distinguished educational programmes that enable students develop their skills and provides them with career professionalism in relation to creative, analytical, communicative and critical thinking; all in a cooperative and encouraging environment that promotes sustainable learning and contributes

to students’ success in their professional lives,” remarked Prof Dr Ahmad Al Ali – EAU Vice-Chancellor, CEO of the University.

“The University offers a new executive programme to gain a Business Administration MA degree in Aviation Management in cooperation with the University of Coventry, which ranks 15th among the best universities of the UK.

Special Report

Prof Dr Al Ali: the University provides about 44 educational programmes and is locally and internationally accredited and licensed

Prof Dr Ahmad Al Ali

This is the first programme in the UAE to grant a Business Administration MA degree that is

specialised in Aviation Management.

We have introduced this programme to train professionals to occupy senior management positions, and it can be studied in Dubai or the UK, which enables professionals to visit and view the size of operations in aviation related institutions.

The introduction of this executive programme is an advanced step towards launching a group of new

successful profession in the field of aviation industry,� added Al Ali. Prof Dr Al Ali stressed that the University has gained its excellent academic reputation by virtue of being an affiliate of Emirates Airlines, which enjoys a leading global reputation, and provides EAU students with practical experiences and the opportunity to enter its aircraft hangars and workshops using real equipment and aircraft engines. In addition, Emirates Airlines gives employment priority to EUA graduates.

Dr Al Ali explained that the EAU has become a preferred destination for studying different aviation specialisations, not only for UAE resident students, but also for all students of the region, with the University currently enrolling a good number of GCC students from KSA, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, and likewise from some African and European countries.

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Special Report

Entertainment in the Skies Airlines today offer over 4,000 channels of movies, TV shows and music and games in multiple languages

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even years after the first-ever commercial flight took from St Petersburg to Tampa in the US in 1914, Aeromain Airways’s amphibious plane showed the first-ever inflight movie Howdy Chicago to its passengers while flying around Chicago.

Four years later, Imperial Airways, serving principally the British Empire routes, followed suit and showed ‘The Lost World’ during a flight between London and Paris.

It was only in the 1960s that the concept of inflight entertainment developed. In 1961, Trans World Airlines became the first airline to offer regular inflight movies on a flight between New York and Los Angeles.

Over the years, inflight movies became the standard features on all flights for all passengers – initially shown on multiple screens throughout the aircraft, with

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passengers plugging in headphones to hear the audio for the movie and in the 1990s at the seat back screens.

Virgin Atlantic, in 1991, became the first airline to introduce individual TVs with a choice of channels to passengers across all classes.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents over 290 airlines from 120 countries, says technology is giving passengers more control over their travel experience including what they wish to watch when inside the aircraft.

The constantly changing preferences of passengers for inflight entertainment have prompted the airlines to remain on the cuttingedge of the business and go ‘head over heels’ in their quest to better their inflight entertainment bouquets, with passengers having the option to select from over 4,000 channels of movies, serials, chat shows and music and games in multiple languages.

According to the Global Passenger Survey (GPS), watching movies or TV is the top activity during long haul flights shared by 74 per cent of passengers and the second-most frequent activity during the short haul flights.

With over eight million people flying across the world every day, the inflight entertainment systems are no longer a small feature to be ignored

Special Report

by the airline industry. The inflight entertainment and connectivity market is expected to register a CAGR of 7.77 per cent during 2019-2024, with the adoption of Inflight Entertainment (IFE) systems and BYOD. Several airlines have started providing inflight live content streaming for most of their flights with high internet speeds.

A study says the inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) market will be worth US$7.65 billion by 2023, while another study

by Grand View Research expects it to reach US$10.5 billion by 2025. In 2015, the global IFEC market size was just estimated at US$3.13 billion.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the world’s oldest carrier, offers more than 1000 hours of interactive entertainment on all its intercontinental and in various languages for passengers to enjoy on their own personal interactive screen on almost all of its intercontinental flights. Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, claimed their passengers can fly better with up to 4,000 channels on its award-winning inflight entertainment system.

They can also follow their flight’s progress on the moving map, and see the world

from 40,000 feet with the external cameras. EK has been consistently winning awards for its ICE system from the ratings of real passengers on over 500,000 flights in the last year.

The airline’s fleet even features Live TV. In a world first, passengers on board EK’s US-bound flights are to have live TV as they cross the North Pole. In partnership with Inmarsat, the new capabilities are scheduled to be live by 2022.

Air Arabia, the largest LCC in the Middle East and North Africa, has revamped its in-flight entertainments system for passengers across its fleet, SkyTime, which allows passengers to live-stream digital content on smartphones, tablets or laptops while flying.

Lufthansa has increased the number of films available on long-haul flights by almost a third in time for the busy summer holiday period.

The German carrier’s inflight entertainment system now features more than 270 broadcasts with an emphasis on documentaries, drama series and sitcoms. Singapore International Airlines (SIA) has its own inflight entertainment system, KrisWorld, which offers more than 1,800 ondemand entertainment options.

South African Airlines’ (SAA) ondemand inflight entertainment system boasts up to 100 titles at any given time. Japan Airlines (JAL) has its own branded inflight entertainment system, MAGIC. Air Canada is introducing a new user interface that allows for easy navigation, available in 15 languages. The content selection will increase by 50 percent on some planes. A new in-flight wireless streaming entertainment system from Air Seychelles will go live at

Lufthansa has increased the number of films available on long-haul flights by almost a third in time for the busy summer holiday period. the beginning of August across its A320neo and A320ceo aircraft.

Next-generation IFEC systems are being designed to effectively harness the benefits of Wi-Fi technology and contemporary BYOD dynamics.

With the advancement in air travel technology, modern long-haul airplanes have reduced the need for stop-overs and have consequently increased flight durations.

This has undoubtedly strengthened the inflight entertainment industry and given rise to emerging IFE solutions. Virtual Reality (VR) is the next generation technology for in-flight entertainment systems.

Many aircraft companies are investing heavily in the technology to differentiate themselves from competitors.

The technology has already been tested by Qantas, which provides VR headsets to its passengers on selected routes. Airlines are striving to provide an entirely new experience to passengers through VR. British Airways is set to trial Virtual Reality (VR) entertainment on select first class flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK. Until the end of the year, customers on these flights will have their own 3D cinema in the sky and will be able to watch a variety of films, documentaries and travel shows in 2D, 3D or 360° formats.

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Special Report

Lost and Found Journeys Over the past 25 years, SITA and IATA have been working to bring the mishandled baggage back on the right tracks faster

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t has been described as a traveller’s worst nightmares - being the last person at the airport conveyor belt and coming to slow realisation that the bag isn’t coming. Lost luggage is often either highly irritating or bizarrely inconvenient.

If the airline loses the bag on the outbound flight, one is left with only the clothes one travelled in, and might end up splashing money on lastminute T-shirts and toiletries to carry one through.

About three decades ago, a lack of system at several airports used to result in a number of bags destined for flights never made the airplane.

The scenario started to change when SITA launched the World Tracer System, which tracks a bag for 100 days and uses the information provided by the passengers about the appearance of the bag as well as the journey history to try to locate it. It is the world’s only global bag-tracing and matching system.

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According to IATA, baggage is one of the key customer satisfaction elements for airlines. A failure to deliver the passengers’ baggage will result in the memories of the nice inflight product and good service in the air being forgotten very quickly.

The costs associated with repatriating the bag with the passenger will also quickly eat into the margins for the journey, and at the same time the additional work needed by your staff to deal with the customer, the bag and the other airlines/airports involved will use up the time of valuable resources.

The airline industry has been continuing to strive towards lower mishandling and better service. One

of the key elements is the capability to track a bag throughout its journey.

The IATA’s Resolution 753 is mandatory for all its members-airlines and demands tracking in key locations.

The aim of the resolution is to reduce mishandling and therefore increase passenger satisfaction by first recording and subsequently exchanging baggage tracking information.

Active from June 2018, IATA Resolution 753/A4A Resolution 30.53, is intended to encourage airlines to further reduce mishandling by implementing crossindustry tracking for every baggage journey.

Special Report

The airline industry has been continuing to strive towards lower mishandling and better service The mishandling of baggage is decreasing each year according to SITA. However, bags continue to be mishandled at the rate of 40 per minute, worldwide, with transfers the chief culprit.

The WorldTracer offers a range of modules that encompass tracing, management, claims processing and baggage delivery service which provides a fully-automated end-toend solution for the speedy delivery of delayed or mishandled bags.

It as developed in cooperation with IATA to reduce baggage repatriation costs by matching baggage faster and at a lower usage-basis cost.

No matter how smooth and enjoyable the passenger experience, a single mishandled bag can undo it all. SITA is the only single-source vendor covering all areas of baggage management. It been the recognized leader in bag tracking and tracing for over 25 years.

SITA provides an unparalleled coverage, distributing more than 3.36 billion messages each year. This coverage allows SITA to provide value-added services – such as BagJourney and BagConnect – based on the baggage messages already distributed. SITA Lab has now taken the proven WorldTracer technology a step further, extending it to track home delivery.

It trialled the new solution which allowed the airline to hand over mishandled bags to couriers yet seamlessly track and confirm the delivery of those bags.

With all this tracking data available at their fingertips, delivery is quicker and more reliable while passengers can be given an exact location of their bag every step of the way.

The latest figures from SITA’s 2019 Baggage IT Insights indicate that in 2018, the air transport industry spent US$2.4 billion on managing 24.8 million lost and mishandled bags.

This is a huge improvement on 2007, when the industry spent US$4.2 billion managing 46.9 mishandled million bags.

This improvement was led by major technology and process improvements

over the past decade. SITA is continuing to develop WorldTracer.

It introduced WorldTracer Tablet, a mobile solution that allows agents to help passengers report and trace mishandled bags at the baggage carousel, or elsewhere in the airport, meaning passengers don’t have to seek out the lost baggage desk.

The company has also introduced the WorldTracer Baggage Delivery Service, which uses a mobile app to allow airlines, ground handlers and couriers to manage and track the delivery of mishandled bags to a passenger’s hotel or home, and keep them informed during the process.

On final delivery, the passenger’s WorldTracer file is updated automatically in real-time.

Now, a new report by SITA shows that we are now much more likely to find our bags waiting for us at the baggage claim, thanks to the adoption of new baggage tracking standards.

Eight out of every 10 passengers check luggage, with most passengers checking one bag. Those airlines which already had good baggage handling processes in place have seen better tracking systems boost their reliable baggage delivery by 38 percent, and airlines that only recently adopted new baggage tracking processes have seen their baggage handling improve by as much as 66 percent.

A number of airlines have adopted RFID baggage tracking systems that let them find any bag in a haystack of bags by using RFID sensors. Twentysix percent of global airline travellers received mobile updates on their bags last year. With passenger numbers expected to double to 8.2 billion by 2037, airlines and airports have to continue to improve baggage handling and baggage tracking systems.

September 2019

21

Special Report

Flying within limits A

dedicated full-time drone park is to take-off soon in a Dubai cricket stadium with the aim of bringing unhindered fun for RPAS enthusiasts and ensuring aviation safety.

In 1907, when the world’s first quadcopter was created, it was lifted just two feet off the ground and also unsteerable, requiring four men to steady it. The year 2010 saw the launch of the first ready-to-fly drone which can be controlled entirely via Wi-Fi, using a smartphone.

The drone was almost immediately successful, both critically and commercially, selling upwards of half a million pick-up-and-play units. Six years later, drone makers introduced smart computer vision and machine learning technology, allowing it to avoid obstacles and intelligently track (and photograph) people, animals, or objects — rather than being limited to following a GPS signal. The resulting UAV was a major milestone for drone photography and consumer drones in general.

A decade ago, drones were a virtually unknown public phenomenon.

Nowadays, thousands of these aerial vehicles are in use worldwide, and the use for civil applications is growing fast for both recreational and commercial markets.

Drones now come in all shapes and sizes. RPAS are increasingly used for commercial operations and recreational

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September 2019

purposes. This has coincided with an exponential increase in reports of RPA operating dangerously close to manned aircraft and airports. RPAS operators have been seeking greater access to airspace for themselves.

most visible commercial application for drones has been in photography and video, but drones are increasingly being used in sectors such as agriculture, construction, real estate, media, and delivery.

Today, the civilian and commercial drone market is growing fast – it is projected that seven million drones would be in the skies by 2020. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts that by 2020, commercial drone sales alone will reach 2.7 million.

The global commercial drone market will reach US$17 billion by 2024. The

The UAE is one of the countries where the number of individuals using drones has been on a rapid rise. Today, over 8,000 UAVs are registered with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the country’s aviation regulator. For the first time in the UAE, individuals can shoot videos and take photographs using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in “permitted locations and at heights specified by the local authorities.”

The use of drones for such purposes can be done only after securing the required approvals from the concerned authorities.

A smart mobile app My Drone Hub facilitates the immediate identification of areas where photography is permitted. It has taken into consideration the safety, security of air traffic, national facilities, privacy of individuals and properties while flying and photographing.

At the last count, over 8,028 UAVs were registered with the GCAA and

Special Report

The use of drones for such purposes can be done only after securing the required approvals from the concerned authorities. there are 92 registered companies permitted to operate them.

There are certain free fly zones, where people can fly drones up to a height of 400 feet. The app helps locate all information to users through an interactive map.

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has its own Drone Registry since 2017 which has on its roll over 5,000 commercial, government, and hobbyist drones. The authority claims to be a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) oversight.

“We have come a long way in a very short period of time. We came up with a protocol…to register every single drone operator in the Emirate of Dubai.

We have now registered almost 5,000 [drone users]; we are looking at 4,760 operators,” remarked Michael Rudolph, DCAA’ Head of Airspace Safety, at an aviation conference.

The DCAA’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) registration service is mandatory (for) all companies and individuals who wish to conduct activities using RPAS. Tourists who bring drones into the country have to register at airports with customs.

The Emirate’s boundaries constitute a limited geographical area, making the

drone oversight easier to manage than other larger places in near and far.

“Without a doubt, Dubai is definitely a leader,” he told AIN, adding a big proportion of drones are used mostly by hobbyists.

Now, a businessman has plans to launch a dedicated drone park in the Emirate by converting a cricket stadium into a fun place for drone enthusiasts.

The Dubai Cricket Stadium could be turned into a hub of drone activity under the new proposals.

The plans are the brainchild of Mohammad Aziz, CEO of Airscope, who has struck up a partnership with Dubai Sports City, which manages the cricket stadium, to launch the new drone park.

Airscope is a Dubai drone company that provides aerial solutions to a wide range of industries, including drone survey and inspections to sectors such as construction, oil and gas, infrastructure and utilities.

The Airscope team has been in the drone industry across the Middle East and Europe since 2012. Its CEO has been behind the setting up of SANAD Academy, the first Dubai drone company to offer Civil Aviation-authorized drone pilot training and certification in the Middle East.

“The whole idea (behind setting up of Drones Park) is to really create a dedicated space for drones enthusiasts,” remarked Aziz, who won the Drones for Good award in 2017 with his previous company, SANAD Academy. He said: “The racing drones are super-fast and they’re really small and hard to control with the naked eye.

Pilots will have like VR goggles so it will be a really immersive experience.”

He added further: “There will be a mix of loops and air gates, all automated.

We want to create a full-on racing environment, just like the go-karting track, where people can bring their own car or rent a car and race around the circuit.”

The official launch is being scheduled, potentially in the indoor football stadium in the Dubai Sports City, in September/October when weather in the emirate become pleasant after the extended summer heat.

“We want to reduce illegal drone flying or flying in the wrong places by attracting drone enthusiasts into a dedicated space.”

According to a report in Gulf News, the unlicensed drone users will be able to use arrive-and-fly rental facilities at the cricket stadium.

The move will limit the risk of costly airport closures by designating a safe space for the hobby, while providing the stadium with alternative revenue streams. Despite the regulations, there has not been a one-stop shop for enthusiasts to gather, learn and enjoy drones flying.

September 2019

23

Middle East News

Big increase in GDS booking for Hajj

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he number of flights booked

by European travellers through Global Distribution System (GDS) to airports around the Holy City of Makkah increased by 1,966 or six percent this year, according to Travelport.

The largest growth and volume of bookings to Makkah were recorded in the UK, increased by 13 percent to 19,798, marking however a slowdown in 2018’s 47 percent growth.

Other rises were recorded from Bosnia and Herzegovina, up by 173 percent and Sweden, stronger by 168 percent.

Overall bookings made in Europe accounted for 10 percent of the global total. Advanced flight bookings to Makkah area airports for Hajj also rose in Asia.

Middle East to have 360 Embraer aircraft by 2038

First international flights from Jeddah’s new airport

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he first international flights from Jeddah’s new King Abdul Aziz International Airport flew to Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia). The services were operated from Terminal 1.

Saudia will be operating a daily flight from Jeddah to Abu Dhabi and vice versa.

There will be an average of four services a week to the Omani capital of Muscat, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

This will bring the total number of destinations served by the new airport to 21 domestic and three international ones.

Egypt opens Hurghada Airport Terminal 2

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of the first terminal was upgraded, and the colour of the buildings was unified. Egypt Independent reported that the terminal features 11 departure gates connected to the aircraft by direct bridges, as well as nine departure gates connected to the remote aeroplanes by buses.

As part of the modernisation programme, an automatic baggage transfer system with six conveyor belts has also been installed.

Terminal 2 has three floors, and a total area of 90,000 square kilometres. Moreover, the runway

Officials ordered the transfer of all international departures and arrivals to Terminal 1 in November 2017 so that Terminal 2 could undergo the development and modernisation phase.

gypt’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has formally opened Terminal 2 at Hurghada International Airport to serve domestic and international flights with an annual capacity of 7.5 million passengers.

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September 2019

E

mbraer, the Brazilian aerospace conglomerate, says demand in the regional aircraft markets for 150-seat aircraft by 2038 is in line with the projected growth in travel demand.

According to an Embraer report, the Asia Pacific region will drive the highest market share for 150-seat aircraft capacity by 28 percent or 3,000 deliveries. About 10,550 aircrafts have been projected in total by 2038. The Middle East’s figure is just three percent of the total global projections.

First budget flight between UK and the Gulf

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he first nonstop link from the UK to the Arabian Gulf on a budget airline is scheduled to begin October-end, according to The Independent.

Kuwait’s LCC Jazeera Airways will fly daily from London Gatwick to Kuwait using the airline’s sole Airbus A320 neo. Low fares are likely to be available for onward connections on Jazeera Airways to Bahrain, Dubai and Delhi.

Presumably because of a problem acquiring slots at Gatwick – the busiest single-runway airport in the world – the timings of the flight varies from one day to the next.

Airports

New Manila Airport construction work to start

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he New Manila International Airport (NMIA) is set to commence construction work before the year-end. The proposed P734 billion airport in Bulacan will have a capacity of 100 million passengers annually. It is expected to bring 35 million tourists annually, up from the 7.1 million recorded last year.

The country’s newest and largest aviation hub, which San Miguel

Thai airports being renovated to handle passenger volumes

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hree airports in Thailand are planned to be renovated.

Krabi, Buriram and Surat Thani provincial airports are getting a makeover to double their capacities in 2020, with a combined budget of 11.3 billion baht.

Corporation (SMC) will start building, will be able to handle up to 100 million passengers a year, more than double the existing capacity of the four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City. The proposed aviation gateway will have four runways, with enough space to expand to six, and will be part of a larger infrastructure ecosystem that will connect with

Berlin to open Brandenburg Airport in 2020

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he Brandenburg Airport in Germany has a new date for its opening: October 2020. According to FBB (Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg), the facility was supposed to open in 2012 but its completion date was constantly pushed back. The terminal was yet to be completed four months before it was originally due to open.

As the organization responsible for

Krabi airport will be renovated and expanded to handle double its capacity. The new terminal will be able to handle eight million passengers a year.

A second passenger terminal will be built at Buriram airport in Thailand’s Northeast costing 700 million baht. The new terminal will double the airport’s capacity to 1.7 million passengers a year.

existing expressways, and mass rail transits that will link it to southern and northern Luzon.

both Berlin Tegel (TXL) and Berlin Schönefeld (SXF) airports, FBB also oversees the planning and development of Berlin Brandenburg (BER).

The company is due to complete all construction work at BER this year.

Interaction tests, hot gas smoke tests and operating principle tests are also scheduled for 2019.

Finally, notification of the completion of building work will be submitted to the Building Regulatory Authority for complete checks. Officials says the biggest reason for the airport’s failed opening in 2012 was due to its faulty fire alarm system.

India has 27 non-operational airports

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ndia has spent huge amounts in 2018-19 for the upkeep of 27 ‘ghost’ airports from where no flights take off.

These 27 are among a total of 31 nonoperational airports in the country.

There are another 15 airports that are operational but no scheduled flights operate from there. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages 136 airports/civil enclaves (CE) but technically only 90 of them

are operational at present. A CE is an area at a military air base allotted for the use of commercial airlines.

Even though non-operational airports do not handle flights, they need to be maintained, their staff paid, and depreciation accounted for.

The government has already planned concessions on parking charges for aircraft at ghost airports to attract airlines.

September 2019

25

Opinion

Transatlantic aviation partnership a role model I

have always been and will always be a firm proponent of a close transatlantic relationship. I am equally convinced that the EU and United States have to continue to be the role models for the rest of the world and have to drive forward the global agenda. In aviation, we have been showing the world the way forward, be it about safety, security or regulatory developments.

The best proof of that is our transatlantic aviation partnership.

With more than 78 million scheduled seats, the EU-US aviation market continues to be the most important aviation market in the world. It is also the largest external market for both the EU and the US, providing unprecedented levels of connectivity and support to our economies.

With nearly six percent growth last year, our mature market also continues to be extraordinarily dynamic. This proves that the transatlantic market is healthy, thriving and is the backbone of our respective aviation value chains. And we should do our utmost to make sure it stays this way. However, I think we should also ask ourselves if this vibrant market would benefit from more competition and from new opportunities. My answer to that is yes, absolutely. More competition is definitely very welcome.

In the not too distant future, the European Commission will consider re-evaluating whether the current transatlantic anti-trust immunities

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September 2019

are fit for purpose. We will do it thoroughly and diligently, having in mind the preservation of the vibrant and competitive market that best serves our travelling public. I will always remain a staunch defender of the integrity of the EU-US Air Transport Agreement which has been a historic game changer, which transformed the transatlantic aviation relationship forever. We have to make sure that there will be no re-writing of the key principles of this agreement.

The policy to which the EU and the USA have committed until now - promoting liberalisation and innovation, opening markets, competition and competitiveness - has had an enormously positive win-win effect for the aviation sector. The rise of nationalism, protectionism and populism around the world, is fundamentally at odds with a forward-looking and liberal regulatory agenda.

Henrik Bololei Director General for Mobility and Transport European Commission

Opinion

Climate change panic Q

antas Airways is Australia’s largest airline by fleet size, international flights and international destinations. It is the third oldest airline in the world, after KLM and Avianca, having been founded in November 1920.

It began international passenger flights in May 1935.

flights – the first industry to make this happen. Despite this, there are campaigns in some parts of Europe to shame people into not taking flights. And various governments are considering new surcharges on airfares, similar to the ‘sin taxes’ on alcohol and cigarettes. These are retrograde steps.

A question pertinent to the aviation industry is how we are confronting the challenge of climate change. It comes at a time when we’re hearing about more and more climate events around the world. Europe is facing record temperatures this summer and ice sheets in Greenland are melting at an extraordinary rate.

The focus should be on how we reduce the impact of flying – not simply to stop doing it. Airlines are taking action on climate change, but we need to do a better job of telling people that. I’m proud of what Qantas, and our customers, are doing. Worldwide, one in 100 customers offset the carbon generated from their flight. For Qantas it’s one in 10. And since offering a bonus of 10 Qantas Points per dollar spent on carbon offsetting, the number of Frequent Flyers choosing this option has risen by 15 per cent.

It’s well known that air travel contributes two per cent to global carbon emissions, but what isn’t well known are the efforts the industry is putting into reducing this impact. Airlines globally are aiming to halve CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Qantas has been offsetting carbon pollution for more than a decade. Our offsetting program is the largest of any airline. Carbon offsetting is a key tool in aviation’s global transition to a low carbon economy. Since 2007, Qantas has offset its own ground and corporate travel emissions. Through our Fly Carbon Neutral Program, a Qantas customer offsets their flight every 59 seconds. Our carbon offset portfolio reflects the strategic priorities of the Qantas Group.

Alan Joyce CEO Qantas Airways

We are working with governments and industry to increase the use of biofuels here and overseas. We’ve also set a target of reducing waste onboard our flights by 75 per cent by end-2021 and removing 100 million pieces of single use plastic by end-2020.

From 2021, we’ll have carbon neutral growth on international

September September 2019 2019

27 27

Airlines

Lufthansa strengthens longhaul programme at hubs

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ufthansa Group is consistently continuing the expansion of its tourist-oriented long-haul programme from its hubs in Munich and Frankfurt.

Beginning with the 2020 summer flight schedule, leisure travellers in particular will benefit from attractive new destinations.

The focus is on North American destinations – as of next summer, Lufthansa will be expanding its services to include Las Vegas, Phoenix, Anchorage, Seattle, Orlando and Detroit. In addition, Bangalore, a

destination in India, is added to the timetable in Munich.

The majority of the flights will operate in cooperation with Eurowings, which will be using a fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft with up to 270 seats.

Eurowings will already be present at Germany’s largest hub in Frankfurt

beginning with the 2019/2020 winter flight schedule that goes into effect in late October. Lufthansa Group is one of Europe’s largest providers of holiday travel. Demand in this area in particular is rising sharply.

Lufthansa will support the marketing of the new Eurowings long-haul destinations with its global sales strength and with high-quality service processes on the ground.

British Airways to offer inflight VR entertainment

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ritish Airways is set to trial Virtual Reality (VR) entertainment on select first class flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK. Until the end of the year, customers on these flights will have their own 3D cinema in the sky, and will be able to watch a variety of films, documentaries and travel shows in 2D, 3D or 360° formats.

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September 2019

The headsets are fully immersive regardless of how the wearer is sitting – they’ll even work if they’re lying fully flat (which is another first class luxury in itself).

The line-up also includes a range of expertly-selected therapeutic VR experiences, such as guided meditation and sound therapy, specifically designed for those with

a fear of flying. British Airways is certainly not the first airline to adopt VR entertainment.

Alaska Airlines is the first carrier in America to offer virtual-reality headsets on its flights. It was offered as a trial to first-class passengers on two routes, Seattle to Boston and Boston to San Diego. The VR entertainment has been offered on XL Airways, Corsair and Joon, three French airlines. It was introduced on the Lithuania-based Small Planet Airlines, initially on flights between Amsterdam and southern Europe, and it was further tested on Iberia of Spain. Qantas has created a VR app, and Air France, Emirates and Etihad have introduced VR technology in some of their airport lounges.

ATM

GCC needs efficient ATM to decongest airspace T he air traffic congestion in the Arabian Gulf states has remained a major challenge to the region’s aviation industry. The average delay per flight attributed to Air Traffic Control (ATC) issues in the GCC region is currently estimated at 29 minutes.

If no urgent remedial initiatives are taken, that could double by 2025, costing in excess of US$7 billion in lost productivity time to passengers and adding over US$9 billion to airline operating costs, a study by the IATA has shown. Approximately half of the

Middle East airspace is reserved for military flights, which obviously adds to the air traffic control congestion.

Traffic congestion often results in flight delays, thereby affecting the on-time performance of various airlines.

IATA Regional Vice-President for Africa and Middle East, Mohamed Ali Albakri, says the average delay per flight will increase if measures are not taken taking into account the increase as the region’s aviation industry grows with the launch of new airlines, more flights and destinations.

Harassment and bullying rampant in Australian ATC

Australia’s air traffic controllers are responsible for 160 million passenger

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outh-eastern European islands nation of Greece is also known for its beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos. Greece is taking action to address the issue of flight delays at Athens International Airport (AIA) and at other facilities across Greece.

Officials have called for the relocation of four air traffic controllers based in Thessaloniki to AIA. Greek airports, particularly those in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, and Chania, have repeatedly been singled out for the frequency and duration of delays, particularly in the summer peak season. AIA was ranked third among 25 European airports for the number of delays, which doubled over the 2017-2018 period.

According to EUROCONTROL, flight delays at Athens Airport increased by 237 percent in 2018 against 2017. According to AIA data, on an average summer day this year, the airport handles a total of 764 aircraft movements in eight key time slots.

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survey of 524 air traffic control workers in Australia has revealed harassment and bullying being rampant. Half of all respondents, and more than three quarters of female Airservices workers who responded reported inappropriate touching, bullying, discrimination or sexual abuse over the past decade.

Greece addresses ATC delays

movements each year. The report found disturbing workplace incidents at major airports in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, as well as busy secondary airports such as Bankstown and Camden in New South Wales.

September 2019

29

Cargo & Logistics

Cebu Pacific enters cargo business

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ebu Pacific (CEB), leading Philippine carrier, has made a foray into cargo business and took delivery of first of its two ATR 72-500 aircraft converted from passenger to cargo use.

The freighter, the first of its type in the Philippines, offers capacity to carry as much as eight tonnes of cargo. It gives CEB the ability to bring cargo in and out of destinations

served by airports with short runways where only turboprops can take off and land. Last July, the carrier had signed an agreement with Switzerland-based IPR Conversions for the conversion of its two ATR aircraft. The second ATR 72-500 freighter is expected to be delivered in late-2019.

Cebu Pacific operator Cebu Air posted a 138.4 percent growth in net

European airport gateways record cargo slump

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ir cargo business in European airports in the first half of this year has been dismal, resulting in mounting concerns that the weakness in global markets will affect the end-of-year peak season.

Just three of the top 10 cargo

Hyderabad airport gets new domestic freighter

H

yderabad International Airport has added another domestic freighter to its existing range of freighter offerings, with the latest entrant being the SpiceJet freighter.

The cargo arm of SpiceJet has commenced its services connecting Hyderabad with Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. With this, the airport now operates six scheduled freighters.

The 737-700F type freighter aircraft used by SpiceJet will operate six days every week and it has the capacity to carry approximately 20 MT of cargo.

The new freighter service will also offer an opportunity to the shippers from the region to access the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)) and other markets via Delhi.

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September 2019

income in the first quarter, driven by an increase in passenger volume and higher average fares. It aims to fly 200 million passengers by 2020 and 300 million by 2022. gateways have been recording yearover-year growth.

Data from the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe shows that of the top 10 airports, growth in the first half was recorded only

by Madrid, Barcelona, and London.

Frankfurt, the busiest air cargo airport in Europe, recorded a decline of 2.5 percent compared with the first six months of last year.

EICI concerned about India’s new logistics policy The Express Industry Council of India (EICI) has noted that the draft national logistics policy overlooks the express industry, the tax burden caused by Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), and suggested measures to streamline E-Way Bill system. It also said that air cargo delivery needs special focus to reduce logistics costs in the country.

EICI represents both domestic and international express companies operating in India including Aramex, FedEx, Blue Dart, DHL, DTDC, First Flight, GATI, TNT and UPS. According to the draft policy, the aim is to reduce the logistics costs from 13-14 percent of GDP to 10 percent.

Technology

Technology to help pilots in English proficiency

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he US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been putting an increased focus on English language proficiency for pilots as it looks to ensure improved communication.

The move means increased attention for a technology called PlaneEnglish, created by two Purdue University alumni that aims to help new pilots master radio communication skills and better interact with air traffic controllers. The technology’s simulator

is now used in dozens of airports across the US. The app-based tool also aims to help new pilots reach FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for Aviation English language use, put in place to ensure safety in the sky.

PlaneEnglish lessons guide users through simple and complicated interactions with air traffic control on every phase of flight. Each simulation includes visual clues (like altitude, distance from an airport and

direction) to provide the pilot with the situational awareness necessary for communication. Users are required to respond properly in specific situations, using the correct phraseology, speech rate and other factors.

Airbus develops ’Bird-of-Prey’ to inspire engineers

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uropean airplane maker Airbus has developed ‘Bird of Prey concept which aims to show the younger generation that engineering is entering an exciting new era.

The launch of conceptual airliner captured the imagination of those who saw it at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

It is a stunning piece of engineering design that pushes the boundaries of technology and innovation with its bird-like appearance. In essence, Bird of Prey is intended to spark that ‘wow factor’ with wing and tail structures that mimic those of an eagle or falcon, with individually controlled feathers providing active flight control.

The blended wing-to-fuselage joint mirrors the graceful, aerodynamic arch of a bird of prey.

Royal Aeronautical Society, Air League, Institution of Engineering and Technology and Aerospace Technology Institute, have backed the project.

The Bird of Prey is an extrapolation of what could be done with technologies that currently form the basis of research within Airbus, like hybrid-electric propulsion to reduce emissions, active control systems and advanced composite structures.

The initiative also seeks to highlight Airbus’ High Value Design credentials and reinforce its position as a global leader of innovation and engineering excellence. Bird of Prey has been an exciting journey from initial conception to its unveiling at the world’s largest military air show.

Now, F1 technology for airport operations

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ormula one giant McLaren and Deloitte have collaborated with NATS to create a digital twin of the skies with thousands of scenarios per second, with these products improving the airport operations now and in the future.

The Performance Optimiser Air Traffic Control (ATC) tool can support and improve ATC operations and would allow ATC providers to prepare for ad hoc events in which higher passenger numbers are travelling through airspace.

The Performance Optimiser is the first product to result from the collaboration.

September 2019

31

Tourism

Venice to stop cruise ships dock in its historic centre

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Dubai hosts 22nd edition of its summer festival

enice has announced plans to start rerouting cruise ships away from its historic center, in a victory for residents tired of the enormous vessels towering over the city’s skyline.

Some ships will be redirected to dock at Fusina and Lombardia terminals, meaning they will stay on the other side of the Venice lagoon, away from the city’s central islands, according to CNN.

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The aim is to reroute about one third of the cruise ships already booked on Venice towards new berths by 2020.

The announcement follows protests in the city over the proliferation of huge cruise liners, which flood Venice’s canals and waterways with thousands of tourists each day.

From April to October, an estimated 32,000 cruise ship passengers disembark in Venice daily, according to the Port Authority.

Held from June 21, the six-week promotion had an impressive line-up of sales, promotions and events, Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). More than 300 brands participated in over 3,500 outlets, giving shoppers 25 to 75 per cent off throughout the festive period.

ubai successfully hosted the 22nd edition of the Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) which offered special shopping discounts and offers and entertainment activities to residents and visitors.

Dubai’s key retail partners have commended the success of the festival in attracting increased visitors to the emirate over the summer season which resulted into greater spend by tourists.

There were over 4,000 offers and promotions in malls across the city.

DSS has been developed by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), in conjunction with the private sector and retail partners, to enhance Dubai’s position as the leading shopping destination for tourists and residents during the summer months.

Dubai’s position as region’s top cruise destination rises

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olstering its position as a premier international cruise destination, Dubai has concluded its 2018/2019

cruise season with a record increase of over 51 percent in cruise tourist footfall and a 38 percent increase in cruise ship calls season-on-season.

The emirate welcomed through Mina Rashid Cruise Terminal 846,176 cruise visitors via 152 ship calls during the season, compared to 558,781 tourist on-board 110 ships in 2017/2018.

An additional 211 ship calls are now confirmed for the upcoming 2019/2020 season. The 2018/2019 season witnessed 14 maiden calls and welcomed leading international cruise liners such as TUI Cruises, AIDA Cruises, MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises, P&O Cruises and

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September 2019

Royal Caribbean cruise lines to the homeport in Dubai, all expected to return in the upcoming season.

The season concluded with the departure of the ‘Karnika’, India’s first premium cruise ship which home ported in Dubai. Since its inauguration in 2014, Mina Rashid’s Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal has received over 2.3 million visitors, marking a 172 percent increase towards the end of 2018.

The Dubai cruise season 2019/2020 is set to commence in mid-October with Mein Schiff, homeporting cruise liner carrying over 6,000 passengers.

Tourism

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September 2019

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