At the risk of (continuing the) thread creep, can I make a suggestion to Dubai ATC?
Let’s have a (?)30 day trial of ‘close in’ holding, using the PINGO hold for incoming traffic when 12 is in use and OSTIN when 30 is the active. I know this might involve a bit of re-arranging tracks for departing traffic, but surely that wouldn’t be insurmountable.
Stack the incoming aircraft in the respective holds, make the minimum holding height 5000’ so the tracking ex the hold can be a continuous descent. This will allow all incoming aircraft to remain in a clean configuration until they leave the hold, (saving an enormous amount of fuel over the current practices) and not have to dirty up while flying level as we have to do so often now.
I think in the long term a holding pattern over Sharjah is probably the better idea, in that the one hold would serve both runways and would make for minimum disruption and delay if the runway changed, (as if frequently does during the peak traffic period around midnight). But that would involve a lot of paperwork, so let’s take it one step at a time and try the PINGO/OSTIN idea for a month or so.
Anyone else out there think this would be a good idea, or at least an improvement on the current situation? I’ve given up writing reports to management, so this forum is probably the one place where something might be achieved. I believe that if enough people responded here with suggestions on improvements to the current system, (which is NOT working well), someone from Dubai ATC who reads this site might pass the word on to someone in authority who is willing to admit there is room for improvement.
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Liaison Flights
Someone mentioned the need for more ATCO/aircrew liaison. I understand that ATCO liaison flights have been approved and will soon be introduced… but I’d be willing to bet today’s bonus (whatever it is) that there’ll be a sting in the tail of that, like they’ll have to do them on their days off and pay for their own accommodation if the trip involves an overnight or some such. You can guarantee that would be the case if the roles were reversed and it was the pilots visiting ATC.