International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC), a global provider of tailored, industry-driven conferences, will be addressing major issues, from airspace congestion to safety at an upcoming conference on air traffic control optimisation.

The Air Traffic Control Optimisation Summit will be held from October 4 to October 7 at Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers in Dubai. The summit will also feature two days of interactive workshops.

"The four-day ATC Optimisation Summit Middle East 2009 gives aviation leaders an opportunity to meet key regional and international decision makers to exchange knowledge and return to the office with fresh perspectives and strategies to optimise air traffic control in constrained a environment,” said Zuzana Laukova, project director of transport IQ, IQPC Middle East.

The aviation industry in the Middle East has seen a rapid expansion in international traffic growth in recent years, she added. However, in the current economic climate the aviation market simply can't afford wasteful air traffic control systems and industry leaders need to ensure optimum levels of air traffic control performance.

This summit delivers critical information to senior decision-makers and officials from airlines and aviation companies, ANSPs, government agencies, civil aviation authorities, military representatives and regulators, tackling issues related to airspace management, airspace congestion, military/civil coordination, air traffic controllers' training programmes and technologies for optimising air traffic control.

Other topics covered include optimising airspace in constrained environment, outlining airspace congestion, dealing with high density traffic areas, overcoming the challenges of the shortage of air traffic controllers, setting up a unified training unit in the region, assessing institutional and technology issues to handle ATC practices more efficiently and progressively achieving improved military/civil coordination in air traffic management.

"The Middle East is one of the most dynamic aviation markets in the world expanding from 5 per cent of international traffic to 10 per cent in the past seven years,” said Dr Majdi Sabri, regional vice president for IATA in the Middle East North Africa.

“But we are not immune to the global recession," he added.

"Airlines in this region will lose $200 million in 2009 as traffic growth slows dramatically. In this environment every cent counts and both aviation and the environment can no longer afford a wasteful air traffic control system,” Dr Sabri concluded. – TradeArabia News Service