UAE, 25 April 2012 – As a part of British Airways’ investment of over £5 billion for customers, the airline’s Lounge refresh in Dubai International Airport ‘s Terminal 1 is now complete. The refurbishment allows premium customers and eligible Executive Club members to relax in even more comfort before their flight.

The refreshed Lounge has a modern yet comfortable feel which is complemented by ambient lighting, providing customers with a great environment to catch up on work or relax before their flight. There is also a new menu and improved food and beverage facilities.

Paolo De Renzis, Regional Commercial Manager, Middle East said: “The update to our Lounge at Dubai International Airport is just one of the many enhancements that our Middle Eastern customers will start to see as a result of our investment for customers. Our investment will make life more comfortable for customers both on the ground and in the sky.”

Over the next five years British Airways’ investment will result in smarter cabins, elegant lounges, and new technologies. The airline will also be refurbishing some of its longhaul Boeing 767 aircraft, and has taken delivery of six brand new Boeing 777-300 aircraft that feature new cabins in First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy).

As a part of the airline’s £100 million investment into First, over 70% of the airline’s 747/777 long haul fleet has now been fitted with new First cabins. British Airways’ 747 and 777 aircraft operate on the majority of the airline’s Middle Eastern routes. More info

Raytheon has finished the installation and testing of its AutoTrac III (AT3) air traffic management (ATM) system at Dubai World Central’s Al Maktoum International Airport.

Dubai Air Navigation Services will now complete the certification needed before the 60-controller installation becomes operational next year.

The Raytheon AT3 system will provide air traffic control automation for the Dubai terminal airspace and approach control services for Al Maktoum International, Dubai International, Sharjah International, and Al Minhad Airbase. It will also support tower operations at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International Airports.

Stephen DuMont, director of international ATM for Raytheon, said: “We have now completed the site acceptance testing and will continue with our train-the-trainers programme.

“The system contains some of the most advanced surveillance and flight data processing available today. The AT3 installed in Dubai includes multi-radar tracking capabilities, advanced flight data processing, safety net functions, online data interchange, arrival and departure management, and electronic flight strips.

“And its open architecture design is scalable as future updates are expected as capacity in the region grows,” DuMont said.

The AT3 system is designed to provide automated conflict alerts if it detects a potential problem with two aircraft. The system can even take into account future aircraft movements using predict-ahead techniques.

By 2030, the number of aircraft operating in the Middle East could grow by up to 176%, DuMont said.

He added that Raytheon now has ATC systems in more than 50 countries, including installations in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, Iraq and Kurdistan, and helps to control up to 60% of the world’s airspace.

Expansion to continue at existing facility to cater for flag carrier’s growth ahead of move to city’s new international airport

Dubai International airport will remain home for Emirates for a further 15 years, as infrastructure developments will extend its capacity by 20% to 90 million passengers. By then, the new mega-airport at Jebel Ali will be ready to absorb the Dubai flag carrier’s transition in one go.

That is the outline development plan for the city state’s two international hubs, which Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths says has been devised after a review of all the stakeholders’ expansion needs. This succeeds the earlier plan that envisaged a much faster ramp-up of Jebel Ali (or Dubai World Central – DWC), with Emirates set to move there from the middle of this decade.

“We worked out quite early on that DWC couldn’t be created in the timescale that Emirates needed it,” says Griffiths. “Our revised strategy will see us develop the existing airport from the current 60 million to 90 million passengers by 2018.” He says the 51 million passengers forecast for Dubai this year would place the airport third in the world in terms of international traffic.

Work is under way to expand Dubai International’s capacity to 75 million from the end of next year by opening a dedicated Airbus A380 facility (Concourse 3) with 20 stands at the Emirates terminal (T3). The next phase will add 15 million passengers.

“With Emirates and Flydubai’s planned growth, we felt we really had to accelerate our expansion plans,” says Griffiths. “Emirates has 90 A380s coming, and with [president] Tim Clark saying that he could take another 40 if only he could accommodate them on the ground, we believe the plan we’ve developed will deliver 90 million passengers by 2018.”

The airport’s “SP2020″ master plan is “pretty much agreed now”, says Griffiths, and should be launched around the time of the Dubai air show in November. Feasibility studies and detailed design will then begin.

The growth will come from both expansion and adaptation of existing infrastructure, including a new concourse attached to Terminal 1 and an enlargement of Terminal 2, adapting terminals for faster passenger throughput, modified aircraft stands, new navigation techniques and higher flow on runways, aided by rapid exit taxiway developments. The plans for Terminal 2′s expansion are already well advanced, with tenders about to be sought.

“Our biggest challenge is creating enough stands to accommodate all the aircraft,” says Griffiths. “We think we need 280, which is 70 more than we have.”

Meanwhile, development of DWC should see the new airport’s capacity reach 80 million passengers by around 2025, enabling Emirates to move its entire hub in one go, says Griffiths. “I’ve given Tim an undertaking that our design will enable Emirates to never need to be split.”

The Emirates move will free up capacity at the existing airport for the remaining airlines, ahead of their transfer to DWC once the third development phase at that airport has been completed.

“We’ll keep all our options open for what we eventually do with the old site – it could be a regional airport, a general aviation facility or a shopping centre,” he says. “We don’t have to make that decision for quite a long time.”

The proportion of Dubai’s transit traffic has stabilised at about 45%, and is projected to remain at this level as the airport expands. The figure is forecast to shift in favour of transit when the new airport is running at full capacity.

Flydubai, Dubai’s first low cost airline, and DNRD have joined forces to announce a unique partnership to provide a self-service facility for customers to book and purchase their flights in one transaction.

The new facility, which was launched at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) today, will be available at six DNRD kiosks strategically placed around Dubai, at locations including Dubai Terminal 2, The Ministry of Labour, and the Twar Center, with plans for additional machines to be placed in the city’s malls in the future.

H.E. Mohammed Al Marri, Director General of DNRD, said: “The new service is in line with Dubai Government’s vision for the future of the Government (e-government), and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision of making the very best use of technology services within Dubai. The self-service kiosks allow customers to make visa queries, print visas and book flights at the same time, making the travel process infinitely quicker and simpler.”

In addition to making new bookings with the world’s fastest growing start-up airline, customers can also modify or pay for existing bookings with cash or credit card, reinforcing flydubai‘s commitment to making low cost travel accessible to all.

The self-service machines are a quantum leap in the travel sector’s technology revolution; they are operated via a touch screen, and incorporate a pin-code visa scanner, printer and connect to DNRD staff should customers need assistance.

Commenting on the service, Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said: “The past few years have seen great developments in the electronic services provided for travellers, and we strive to embrace these advances. We are very proud of our relationship with DNRD, and will continue our commitment to a providing flexible and convenient service.”

To book flydubai flights, the kiosks link directly to www.flydubai.com, on which customers can make bookings, select optional extras, such as checked baggage, or a seat with extra legroom, then complete payment using cash or credit/debit card.

flydubai operates from the modernised Terminal 2 building on the north side of Dubai International Airport.

Construction workers have been working to make an airport in Dubai the world’s biggest. When finished Al Maktoum International, the airport in the desert, will be a major hub with five runways and three terminals.

DWC

It will be able to handle upward of 160 million passengers a year.

While the plans for the airport are oversized, it is currently just a single runway and passenger terminal.

Al Maktoum International Airport will become the major airport in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

It will be the main part of Dubai World Central, a planned residential, commercial and logistics complex scheme.

World Central is an integrated logistics platform, with many transport modes and other services, including manufacturing and assembly in a free zone environment.

Was it undeclared cargo that caught fire on the ill-fated UPS cargo flight that went down in Dubai recently? Could a timely detection and an additional cabin crew have helped in better handling the situation?

Could a better co-ordination between Bahrain and Dubai ATS have resulted in a different ending? Why was the pilot airborne for almost 30 minutes after first detecting the fire, instead of landing the flight somehow, somewhere?

These are some of the issues that are being extensively discussed among the members of the airline community on an online forum following the crash of  the cargo plane that killed both pilots.

Emerging facts indicate that a fire from the cargo section could have caused the blaze resulting in a smoke-filled cockpit, leaving the pilots helpless and near-blind to read the instruments in front of them.

On September 3, the Boeing 747-400 which left Dubai to Cologne in Germany crashed at a military base in Dubai less than an hour after taking off, killing both Capt Doug Lampe and First Officer Matthew Bell.

Discussing over a forum one of the Gulf Air pilot says he had the misfortune of hearing the whole chain of events while flying from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi.
“We were in Bahraini airspace when we heard the mayday of a ‘Fire on the Deck’,” and an immediate descent to 10,000′.

The captain requested vectors back to Dubai immediately. Within moments the cockpit was filled with smoke and the captain indicated he could not see any instruments at all.

With no visual reference and all instruments unreadable as well as difficulty relaying messages and getting information (he re-entered UAE air space but was still talking to Bahrain as he couldn’t change frequencies).

Altitudes, headings etc had to be relayed from the UAE to Bahrain to airborne aircraft to UPS and back again. The situation was a real mess.

“Although he wound up straight in for 12L at Dubai at 10 miles and 7,000′ he couldn’t circle because he couldn’t see anything. He turned south of the airport,  blind, even as the altitudes were being read to him.

It was of no use. The aircraft crashed into a fairly unpopulated area,” the pilot  recalls.

“En route to Iraq, I heard pretty much everything from when they declared their emergency overhead Bahrain due to smoke in the flightdeck, through their descent and pleas for altitude readouts because they couldn’t see their instruments, or change frequency, to hearing ATC shout ‘climb immediately’ and then calmly say ‘loss of radar contact’.”

“To hear the initial panic and plain fear during their transmissions (in real time as opposed to a DVR playback on a documentary) has been the most chilling event in my 25 years of flying,” he adds.

Meanwhile it has been urged that the presence of EVAS – Emergency Vision Assurance System could have further helped the situation.

“The solution to smoke in the cockpit has been around for years and it works. We have it installed on our aircraft and I’ve practiced with it in the sim. If the jet is flyable and you are in a condition to fly, you can.

Basically, it is a low-pressure clear bag that inflates in front of the pilot and presses up against the instrument panel and the window.

Don your smoke goggles and oxygen mask, press your face against the bag and you can see through the clear air

inside the bag enough to fly the jet. When not in use, it stays in a bag next to your seat.

Time will tell whether EVAS would have made a difference here,” adds another post.

Questions are also being raised as to why the pilots chose to return to Dubai?

“I still find it strange that they elected to go to Dubai when both Abu Dhabi airport and the Dubai World Central would seem closer as well as Doha International Airport,” wondered another.

Another pilot with years of experience says when the plane’s on fire, just land as soon as possible.

“I don’t mean ‘nearest suitable’…ASAP means land on the desert below you.

This is the single most important issue that should be understood…In any instance of smoke or fire warning or confirmation, it is imperative that the aircraft be put on the ground immediately, and if over water, ditching must be considered. History has shown that there is about a 10 minute window.

After that, it is unlikely to be a recoverable or survivable situation,” he observed.

Meanwhile reports indicate that the flight recorders have been sent to the United States for further analysis.

Following years of preparation, Dubai finally opened the doors to its ground-breaking Al Maktoum International Airport last month, which is set to cement the Middle East’s position as a global aviation hub.

Dubai marked its transition into a two-airport city last month, with the much-awaited launch of cargo operations at Al Maktoum International. A diverse range of cargo carriers have registered to operate in the airport – which is part of the multi-billion dollar Dubai World Central development – including Aban Air, ACI, Aerospace Consortium, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Coyne Airways, EuroAsian Services, Rus Aviation, Sonic Jet, SunGlobal, Skyline and United Aviation Services.

To celebrate the launch, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai, and his son Sheikh Hamdan Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, were provided a royal tour, alongside HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Dubai Airports.

“Phase one is the first step in a long infrastructure development project that over time will see our new airport transformed into the world’s largest global gateway and a multi-modal logistics hub, while playing an increasingly integral role in the ongoing economic and social development of Dubai,” comments Sheikh Ahmed.

“The inauguration of Al Maktoum International serves as a timely reminder to regional and international stakeholders of the strength of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, who continues to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to meeting the long-term infrastructure growth and capital requirements of our city.”

Sheikh Ahmed also reinforces the fact that Dubai World Central will support the emirate’s aviation, tourism, commercial and logistics requirements through 2050 and beyond. “The Government of Dubai remains fully committed to the timely realisation of the airport and Dubai World Central as whole. There is no doubt that this multi-modal logistics hub will provide significant benefits to the economy of Dubai and the wider region, particularly at a time when the transportation and logistics sector is playing an increasingly important role in the city’s rapidly diversifying economy.”

The initial phase of the airport will feature an A380 capable runway, 64 remote stands, a cargo terminal with annual capacity for 250,000 tonnes of freight, and a passenger terminal building designed to accommodate five million passengers per year. “Although it’s a long-term project, the need for a second airport in the near to mid-term is clear,” states Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “Dubai International currently has capacity for 2.5 million tonnes of cargo, while volumes are expected increase to 3 million tonnes by 2015. On the passenger side we expect to see numbers skyrocket from the 41 million that passed through Dubai International in 2009 to 98 million by 2020 and 150 million by 2030.”

Griffiths adds that the new airport’s facilities and connectivity to the Jebel Ali Port and Jebel Ali Free Zone by a bonded road is being acknowledged by adopting airlines. “We are delighted with the response from cargo operators who are seizing the opportunity. DWC opened with 15 cargo airlines signed up and we expect that number to increase steadily over the next few months.”

The airport’s opening was preceded by the presentation of DWC’s official aerodrome certification to Sheikh Ahmed from Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, director general of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which followed a detailed aviation safety and security certification programme.

“This is the 8th International Aerodrome within the United Arab Emirates to receive a certification from the GCAA,” states Al Suwaidi. In addition to the aerodrome being certified, DWC was the first to obtain organisation certificates for air traffic services, communication, navigation and surveillance, aeronautical information services and aviation meteorology services.”

Once completed, Al Maktoum International will be the largest airport in the world, with five runways, four terminal buildings and annual facilitation for a total of 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo.

Service provider Smartworld has completed the installation of two Tier-3 rated datacentres in Dubai World Central with the help of power and cooling specialist APC by Schneider Electric. Smartworld is involved with a number of major upcoming technology projects in Dubai and specialises in the aviation sector, with a business unit devoted to airport systems.

APC's Infrastruxture's on-demand architecture allows us to deliver a better level of service to our customers, says Smartworld's Kaddoura.

With the new datacentres, Smartworld incorporated a number of elements from the APC portfolio, including its InRow cooling architecture which aims to cut energy costs by 30%. Construction of the 100 sqm datacentres began in June 2008.

According to APC, each datacentre uses 30 racks with Symmetra PX2 UPS (two units with a capacity of 160 KW), nine units of InRow DX Cooling, nine indoor and outdoor units and 30 Netshelter racks. The system is managed by APC’s InfraStruXure Central which can send detailed critical alerts to infrastructure managers.

Mustafa Kaddoura, the CTO for Smartworld commented on the successful implementation: “APC fully integrates power, cooling, rack, management, security and services and has provided considerable benefits to Smartworld. Infrastruxture’s on-demand architecture allows us to deliver a better level of service to our customers.”

“This high density deployment will help us provide our customers with true business continuity for their critical business needs. Many of the region’s datacentres have been built on demand or for short-term vision which is as good as a quick-fix.  Smartworld datacentres are built with a long-term vision and are highly secure, reliable, scalable eco-friendly and cost effective to our customers.” he added.

Rising power densities, unprecedented cooling issues, increased energy demands and soaring prices mean power and cooling are now a customers’ central focus. The clear path to capturing these new revenue streams lie in providing solutions, not just products” added Rodney Callaghan, Vice President for the Gulf at APC by Schneider Electric.

In another demonstration of the ongoing development of Dubai Logistics City (DLC) as the preferred hub for international logistics and support service providers,  Ehrhardt + Partner Solutions (EPS), the German corporate group and internationally leading expert for warehouse logistics today announced the opening of its first Warehouse Technology Centre for the Middle East at DLC.

Modelled along the lines of the company’s own Institute for Applied Warehouse (IAW) in Germany, the new technology centre will enable EPS to share its logistics expertise and unique technological platforms with regional corporates, including logistics service providers. EPS will provide comprehensive logistics support services from its hub centre in DLC in addition to demonstrating the newest warehouse technologies live at the new technology centre.

EPS is located within DLC’s contract logistics area and in close proximity to DWC-Al Maktoum International Airport. “We are delighted to open our first warehouse technology centre, right here in the heart of Middle East logistics,” said Hermann Ehrhardt, founder and CEO of Ehrhardt+Partner Solutions. “The ready availability of warehousing and commercial space within the same campus, as well as access to a range of suppliers and service providers is truly unique to DLC.”

The 21.5 sq km Dubai Logistics City is part of the Dubai Government’s overall 2015 strategy to enhance the emirate’s transport and logistics services and capitalise on its geographical location to make Dubai a regional hub for logistics.

“The launch of this technology centre from EPS marks a strong endorsement of DLC and its business model in providing a dedicated world class infrastructure for global logistics providers,” said Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation. “We believe DLC is an unparalleled platform within the Middle East region, and this has been validated by the growing presence of international logistics and support service providers in the DLC campus. In this regard, the opening of this technology centre by EPS marks another successful step in the rapid ongoing development of DLC as the region’s premier logistics destination.”

“The latest inauguration marks the growing presence of a host of international logistics companies that are leveraging the world’s first truly integrated logistics facility at Dubai Logistics City,” said Rashed Buqaraa, Chief Operation Officer Dubai Aviation City Corporation

“At DLC, we see ourselves playing a progressively important role within the regional logistics and transport sector. We have already received commitments from over 30 leading international companies to set up a base in DLC and are seeing growing interest from a number of multinational companies looking to take advantage of our unique benefits and capabilities,” added Rashed.

Ramon Thoms, regional manager of Ehrhardt+Partner Solutions said: “We see huge possibilities in DLC – this is where the most important logistics market of the future will be centred. This is why it was exceptionally important to the E+P Group to develop such a centre to provide new warehouse solutions that will shape the future of the logistics industry. Owing to the infrastructure we have been provided at DLC, we are already in a position to implement complex warehouse projects and modernizations on-site in accordance with international quality standards.”

The EPS centre will include a state-of-the-art showroom, where the company will demonstrate modern logistic processes, including its WMS software, Pick-by-Voice, Pick-to-Light and other automated systems.

Of the companies that have committed to setting up operations in DLC, four are currently operational. These include EPS, Calipar Integrated Services, RSA Logistics and Kuehne & Nagel. Four other companies are currently coordinating the construction of their facilities at Dubai Logistics City. These include Eagle Industries, Integrated National Logistics, Aramex, and RSA Logistics (second phase).

Located within the Dubai World Central master-planned community, DLC currently provides comprehensive transport infrastructure, logistics and value added services, including light manufacturing and assembly, in a single customs bonded and Free Zone environment.

© 2010 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)