ACAC and Airbus officials sign the MoC
ACAC inks deal to optimise Mena air traffic movements
DUBAI, September 6, 2015
The GCC’s aviation sector has witnessed tremendous growth as demands on the region’s air traffic management (ATM) system are mounting, calling for crucial changes to increase access and capacity for future growth of the regional industry.
Recognizing this increasing requirement, the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Airbus Middle East and Airbus ProSky to conduct a deep and formal study to better understand the current regional airspace challenges and to implement necessary planning and coordinate essential changes.
Mohammed Sherif, director general of ACAC said: “There have been significant changes in the global approach to ATM and aviation in the Middle East and North of Africa which is shifting in how Air Navigation Services are provided. There has been, and there continues to be, unprecedented rapid growth of aviation in parts of the region. This is straining ATM capabilities and spurring various localised efforts to increase planning and coordination.”
The ATM Study intends to develop both near-term requirements and longer term strategic needs to formulate a master plan for regional air navigation service provision right up to 2030. Included within will be a recommended systematic process to prioritise and balance investments aiming to optimise ATM for the Arab Middle East and Northern Africa area. The study will set out to and achieve the following:
- Improve airspace safety and efficiency
- Improve interoperability between ANSPs to foster seamless services across borders
- Increase airspace capacity to meet future demand requirements
- Increase access to airports
- Reduce environmental impact of increasing traffic by providing improved ATM operations
Fouad Attar, managing director of Airbus Middle East, said: “We are pleased to enter in cooperation with such an important regional organisation and look forward to a close collaboration. We are confident that by covering one of the most challenging parts of the world in terms of air traffic growth and geopolitics, this airspace study will provide benefit to all of us, especially to our valuable customers.” – TradeArabia News Service