Airlines will lose $200m said IATA regional vice president

IATA has called on governments, air navigation service providers (ANSP) and aviation groups to urgently address inefficiencies in air traffic that threaten the sustainability of aviation in the Middle East.

Speaking at the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), IATA’s regional vice president for the Middle East North Africa, Madji Sabri said: “The Middle East is one of the most dynamic aviation markets in the world expanding from 5% of international traffic to 10% in the past seven years. But we are not immune to the global recession.“ He continued,” 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.”

Sabri also pointed to performance issues that are threatening the financial health and future expansion potential in the region.

IATA’s regional vice president for the Middle East North Africa, Madji Sabri

“In the Middle East infrastructure and air traffic control procedures are not keeping up with growth. Military restrictions limit airspace expansion and the fragmentation of airspace and sub-optimal routes are costing millions,” he explained. “We need better coordination to find workable solutions and that means involving governments, airlines, ANSPs and industry groups like ICAO, CANSO and IATA.”

While he also called for the region to take a coherent regional approach to air traffic management, and to provide capacity as well as improve efficiency. “That means looking beyond national borders to the region-wide implementation of enroute airspace and terminal control areas based on Performance Based Navigation (PBN),” he explained. “It calls for investment in improved aeronautical information management and communications infrastructure. And it means making better use of aircraft and air traffic management technology to achieve an airspace structure that is based on user-preferred flight-paths.”

IATA said every drop of fuel that airlines save also improves aviation’s environmental performance. And that aviation contributes 2% of global CO2 but is aggressively pursuing carbon-neutral growth en-route to a carbon-free future.

“Airlines in this region are doing their part ordering 1,000 new, fuel-efficient aircraft worth over $178 billion in the past three years,” added Sabri. “IATA is also playing a role. Since 2004 globally we have delivered $12 billion and 59 million tonnes of CO2 savings by shortening routes, enhancing operational procedures and sharing best practices. Since 2006 in this region alone we saved $460 million, $40 million by shortening routes, $46 million with RNAV approaches and $374 million by helping airlines in the region improve fuel efficiency with our Green Teams. We have made progress, but there is much more work to do.”