Ignorance is a wonderful thing, chaps. Every night shift, I have to watch scores of aircraft just from the MCT FIR head towards the northern and (increasingly) the southern UAE airfields at the same time to satisfy the hubbing strategy of the various airlines. That's just from our side of the UAE. And you know what, I feel sorry. I feel sorry for us because we have no effective flow control measurements in place, I feel sorry for UAE because of the restrictions that are placed on them because of the sheer weight of numbers heading their way with no real flow control in place and I feel sorry for all the pilots who get dizzy spinning around wasting precious fuel because of the silly ambitions of several huge airlines who don't self police by spreading out their movements. I know, scheduling is complicated but there are huge orders for more planes in this neck of the woods and we can't keep up. Please understand that we don't just put restrictions on you because we can. Of course, there are varying standards in the centre; we're all not the same. Even the best make errors of judgement or are simply doing what looks easiest to them in sometimes desperate circumstances. Please bear with us; we are getting overwhelmed with traffic.
And every ATCO is trained not to "expedite descent/slow down". If you get that instruction, it's because, in the heat of battle, the controller has usually forgotten and will be kicking himself the moment those words come out of his mouth.
We're in this together, lads and lasses. Let's work together and try to understand each others difficulties. Safe flying.