ATC's in Middle East
 

A quick question to our Middle East Colleagues,

I was wondering now that war is imminent in the Middle East and with many orders from Foreign Ministries directed towards citizens to evacuate non essential staff from places such as Jordan,Bahrain and with High Alerts for Saudi,Oman etc. what provisions are ATC service providers putting in place. More particular towards SERCO as they are the main supplier of ATC contractors in the Middle East and being a English/British company. What sort of rights will you have to leave if YOU feel the war is too close for comfort and then return when things have settled down.
I only ask as I have a few friends in the Middle East at the moment who have left far calmer climates to broaden their experience etc. and now have to face potential risks associated with working in a less hospitable climate.

Well from the UAE perspective, in Abu Dhabi (as I'm sure is the case in Dubai) things feel pretty normal and relaxed. Apart from having to talk to more than the normal number of yank bombers, life goes on as normal. The guys who can probably answer the question better, would be the Serco guys in Bahrain, or the guys in Doha who are much closer to the action. I wouldn't think guys could just up and leave and keep there job, but thats just a guess.

NEW TODAY
ON THE REQUEST OF THE US EMBASSY THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
IS DISSEMINATED.
COALITION MILITARY FORCES MAY OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST
AND THE AIRSPACE ABOVE THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA, RED SEA, GULF
OF ADEN, ARABIEN SEA, GULF OF OMAN, AND THE ARABIAN GULF.
THE TIMELY AND ACCURATE IDENTIFICATION OF CIVIL ACFT IN THESE AREAS
IS
CRITICAL TO AVOID THE INADVERTENT USE OF FORCE AGAINST CIVIL
ACFT.COALITION MILITARY FORCES ARE PREPARED TO EXERCISE
SELF-DEFENSE MEASURES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THEIR
SAFETY IN THE EVENT THEY ARE APPROACHED BY UNIDENTIFIED
ACFT (FIXED,ROTARY WING AND ULTRA LIGHT VECHICLES).
COALITION FORCES ARE PREPARED TO RESPOND DECISIVELY TO ANY
HOSTILE ACTS OR INDICATIONS OF HOSTILE INTENT. IN ADDITION, THE
TERITORIAL AIRSPACE OF IRAQ IS CLSD TO ALL NON-COALITION ACFT, EXC
CENTRAL COMMAND AUTHORIZED FLTS, MEDICAL, FIRE-FIGHTING,
RESCUE/RECOVERY AND HUM FLTS UFN. ACFT ENTERING THIS AIRSPACE DO SO
AT THEIR OWN RISK.
THIS NOTICE IS ALSO PROVIDED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF COALITION
FORCES AND THEIR FACILITIES.ALL ACFT OR FLT ACTIVITIES
THAT ARE DETERMINED TO BE THREATS TO COALITION FORCES MAY BE
SUBJECT TO INTERCEPTION,QUARANTINE,DISABLING OR DESTRUCTION. THIS
INCLUDES ACFT WITHIN IRAQI TERRITORIAL AIRSPACE AND GROUND-BASED
ASSETS AND ACTIVITIES TROUGHOUT IRAQ WITHOUT REGARD TO REGISTRY.
IN ADDITION,ALL AIRCRAFT APPROACHING COALITION NAVAL FORCES
ARE ADVISED TO MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT ON BRIDGE-TO-BRIDGE
CHANNEL 16,INTERNATIONAL AIR DISTRESS (121.5 MHZ),OR MILITARY
AIR DISRESS (243.0 MHZ UHF).THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
AND WIIL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
: NOTAM ENCA/0109/03


Not so nice for much longer?

From a professional standpoint, it certainly is interesting work at the moment.

Outside work; things are calm, but tensions are rising. You cannot just elect to leave, but the company will reposition your family at company expense, if you are in an area that the embassy recommends you leave. It is hard to understand if you are not here. The people most worried for our safety are people who have never been to the region.

Ferris

Yes, quite right. Work is interesting - bloody P3's everywhere. Shame half of them don't call you up when they're in your airspace though. I read in a copy of one of the UK tabloids that the passengers on a P & O cruise liner were at the point of mutiny ("Captain, the passengers are revolting!" - old joke) because they were going to be taken through a war zone by routing through the Red Sea and Suez canal. The atricle went on to say that at least the stop in Dubai had been cancelled. Just goes to prove the world is full of d@*%heads.

Outside work, it is the people who don't live here who think we're in a war zone. At the moment there is nothing much to be afraid of here in Dubai but we're keeping our eyes open and taking the usual sensible precautions. Those of us who've had 25 years of the IRA etc don't find it much too get excited about.

Contact Tower

That NOTAM is a repeat of quite an old one but it makes one good point - that pilots should not use 121.5 as a chat frequency! I for one am fed up with monitoring it and hearing crews passing all sorts on non-emergency info on it. Especially at the moment you would think they would use a bit of common sense. I also like the line "...MAY BE SUBJECT TO INTERCEPTION,QUARANTINE,DISABLING OR DESTRUCTION." Americans have such a way with the English language!

As usual, it's good here, eh?

Gents,

Drifting off slightly, I notice Serco are advertising for controllers and engineers (hurrah!). As an interested engineer who quite fancies Dubai I'd appreciate any thoughts, comments, hints, tips, etc, etc.

Currently in Riyadh, so shouldn't be too much of a shock I hope...

Bear555