NATS to offer air traffic design in the UAE

NATS has received approval from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to operate as an Instrument Flight Procedure Design organisation.

The IFP service certificate (IFP007) was awarded to NATS following a successful assessment against the UAE civil aviation regulations and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices.

With the certificate, NATS is now eligible to provide air traffic design, management, maintenance and many other related services in the UAE. This is in line with NATS’ commitment to the aviation industry in the Middle East and its strategy to build on its client and projects portfolio in the region.

John Swift

“We are pleased to receive this certificate from the GCAA, it gives a clear indication to our stakeholders in the region of our experience and capability in delivering work to the highest international industry standards,” said John Swift, Middle East Director, NATS.

“With the continuous expansion in airlines and hub airports in the Middle East, there are associated capacity challenges that need to be addressed.”

“With our experience of providing air traffic control services in the UK, complemented by our strong understanding and experience of the Middle East market, I believe NATS is the right partner to help solve these problems.”

To receive an approval for IFP services from the GCAA, an organisation is required to provide evidence of having in place a Quality Management System, a Safety Management System, a Procedure Design Manual an acceptable Organizational Exposition and proof of the experience of its Safety and Quality Managers.

In the UK, NATS guides around two million aircraft through some of the busiest and most complex airspace anywhere in the world. Increasingly its expertise is in demand from other countries, with NATS also working in the United States and Far East.

In the Middle East, NATS is currently working on projects in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, and previously with Bahrain and at Al Maktoum Airport.