The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for regional cooperation and global standards to support the continued success of aviation in the Gulf area.

 

Speaking exclusively to TRBusiness in Dubai earlier this week, George Horan, President of Dubai Duty Free, expressed his concern for the travel retail industry. “In Dubai the number of aircraft coming in is increasing dramatically. Emirates alone introduced two Airbus A380s here last week, two more aircraft, just like that.

 

“The aircraft movement in the skies is astronomical and there’s not enough communication between the different entities which control different airspaces. So I think there are definitely elements for concern, for sure, and they need to be addressed.”

 

“A strong vision for aviation’s future supported by cooperation and global standards has laid the foundation for a very successful air transport sector,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a keynote address to the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi.

 

“That foundation becomes stronger the more we work together as partners. I am absolutely confident that the Gulf region will play an even more crucial role in commercial aviation’s second century.”

 

Dubai Airport.

 

‘BIGGEST STRATEGIC FEAR FOR THE REGION’

At the most recent MEADFA conference, TRBusiness asked Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports CEO, if he was concerned about potential gridlock in the skies over the Middle East and he acknowledged he was.

 

He said there most certainly is a problem with air space capacity and this is something that “could unseat the entire industry and he said it is currently the biggest strategic fear that he has for the region.

 

According to IATA, airlines in the Middle East are expected to contribute a record $2.2bn to the airline industry’s expected global profit of $18.7bn in 2014. Driven by the high speed growth of airlines in the Gulf, the Middle East region’s share of global traffic increased from 4% to 9% in just over a decade.

 

“Aviation in the Gulf is a great success story and air traffic gridlock should not become its Achilles’ heel,” adds Tyler. “Airspace is finite. So capacity can only grow with efficiency. Each country has invested in impressive technology. But effective management needs regional and international teamwork. The players in the region urgently need to buy in to a vision for seamless airspace management in the region and then work together in a team effort to make it happen.

 

“Airspace congestion is a real and rising problem. And it grows with each new aircraft that is delivered. Unless it is dealt with expeditiously, the efficient hub operations which are supporting the region’s success will begin to unravel.”