WWhy does EK start descend into DXB that early ?
 

Hi ! As I worked as an air traffic controller in my earlier life and fly EK to DXB now and then, a question arose: why does EK start the descend into DXB that early ? Some times nearly an hour before reaching the hold ! Here in Europe pilots try anything to stay at cruising level as long as possible- so why not at DXB ? I presume, there are some EK pilots present who can give me an explanation . Greetings !

The days of deciding when we descend into DXB are long gone. ATC tell us when and where to go. Have a look at FR24 sometime........

We follow ATC. Descend to cross RESAR or ORSIS FL290 maintaining!

The concept is the slower everyone is flying, the more aircraft you can fit in a small airspace. The lower you fly, lower tas, slower flight. UAE FIR is like SZR at peak hour. Sure, you can do 120km/h at 5am, but at 5pm, everyone is doing 40 and there are a lot more cars fit into any given stretch of road

Flying slower and lower burns less fuel compared to flying to a holding pattern at M.84 and then holding for 20 minutes, whilst taking the same amount of time. It works pretty good. We don't hold that much in DXB anymore, certainly not for the hour plus we used to arriving before midnight.

Entering the FIR at ORSAR from OIIX FIR sees you descend waaaaay early. As QTR now avoid the UAE on departure, they track just north of ORSAR and the Tehran controllers descend you under them.