There are an extremely high number of go-arounds in DXB compared to most airports I have worked. (Canada, for the curious.) Somewhere in the vicinity of 50 / month. I believe this may be to the following factors, and in no particular order:
1) Very stringent and inflexible separation standards between arrivals and departures. Not much room for controllers to apply judgment to 'make it work'.
2) Very stringent and inflexible standards as to how pilots fly the aircraft. Not much room for deviation from SOP's to 'make something work.'
All this is probably very good from a safety point of view, but it does come with associated costs. My two dirhams worth
Canoehead, you are very kind to us. Unfortunately we have to add this:
3) Very inadequate training of pilots who are too often over their heads with their new equippment.
It is not their fault, mind you, all of them might one day be good pilots. But if you transplant CRJ jockeys, with only single continental experience, into a heavy and slippery wide-body, give him minimal training and more than narrow sops, pair this up with many other inadequately trained and experienced fellows, airborne or on ground, then you will end up with such a situation.
What I have seen in this short time in the pit speaks for itself.
- capturing initial appr. altitude by forgetting to arm the GP allthough cleared for approach (then not realising it fast enough and ending up too high)
- thrust with low flaps and speedbrakes out (with the warning the AT was disconnected and left at thrust, speedbrakes retracted and ending up too high)
- open descents with speedbrakes below 3000ft and rates above 2500fpm due to GS capture from above (recovery extremely uncomfortable for pax, and almost level bust below)
- at initial appr alt at 20nm with high flaps, gear down and huge thrust (only to baloon through the GP capture and almost ending up too high)
- arithmetics like dist x 3 eq alt, or gs / 2 eq rod, are widely unknown and therefore not applied, stand-offs not recognised (religiously following the magenta a$$h@le, even when not track adjusted, or desperately wanting to adjust it during the approach, thus not flying)
Then we read on the weekly reports about inadequate vectors and excessive tailwinds ........
It is simply a sign of beeing not adequately trained, not experienced enough (or maybe just not suited for such a job). This might sound harsh, sorry, but there is a display of inadequacy on a daily base that takes away any surprise of a concentration of events in DXB and for that matter just as much in AUH and DOH/BAH. The demand for jockeys in the gulf simply outstripped the adequate supply. It is back to better times now, due to the crisis there are enough adequate candidates available again. but the fast growth around the gulf the last three years brought in too many low qualified fellow aviators too fast.
Heard a collegue the other day asking Lahore on HF for a non standard (opposite) level over the Himalayas, enroute to the 10min radio silence until getting Urumqui and for the ft to meter transition. Now how about that for situational awareness!!
You hear on a daily base collegues yell out the "discrete" squawk over Iraq, "hello Baghdad, this is BS001, FL340, squawk xxxx ..... " Very discrete indeed and shows little insight!!
As much as I criticise the non coordination of all the involved ATC centres, the silly set-ups of airport utilisation rules, the corsetts of the GCAAs bs, as much I criticise the inadequate selection and training of pilots by the gulf airlines. The environement is complicated and needs more attention and time to getting used to than provided.