Nats, a leading air traffic management company, has opened its headquarters for the Mena region in the Jumeirah lake Towers Free Zone in Dubai, UAE.

To mark the occasion, a number of its senior executives, including Catherine Mason, managing director, Nats services, and John Swift, director, Nats Middle East, met with Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, to discuss some of the most significant aviation opportunities and challenges facing the Gulf countries.

Nats also outlined its long term commitment to the region and its desire to work in collaboration with local service providers, regulators, airlines and airports, to find appropriate solutions to meet the aviation growth aspirations of the GCC.

Nats’ air traffic controllers handled over 2 million flights carrying 220 million passengers last year, and the business generated revenues of over $1.45 billion. The company currently operates around the world, including in Asia and continental Europe, but it has its roots in the UK, where it provides vital air traffic control services at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, amongst others.

In 2006, the company was contracted to design terminal airspace around Al Maktoum International Airport prior to its opening. The airport will eventually have six runways coping with an annual capacity of up to 160 million passengers.

With the GCC states expected to serve 450 million passengers annually by 2020, and with total aircraft movements in the Gulf’s airspace predicted to reach over 2.3 million, Nats sees an urgent need for these countries to master its airspace.

John Swift, Director, Nats Middle East, said:  “A permanent, on the ground presence covering the Mena region is a major milestone for us. Over recent years Nats has successfully completed projects in Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE, but having a dedicated regional office is a clear sign of our long term commitment to working in partnership with the aviation community, especially as it seeks to harness aviation as an economic engine for growth.” – TradeArabia News Service