Dubai Air Navigation Services (DANS) is hosting the 2014 edition of Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) World Conference in Dubai from Tuesday (May 13) to 15.

Organized by the International Federation of Aeronautical Information Management Associations (IFAIMA) in cooperation with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and EUROCONTROL, the Global AIM Dubai-2014 will be held at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel.

The conference is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

The conference has attracted over 337 participants from 66 countries, including 29 global experts and 64 exhibitors and AIM-related software and hardware providers. The participants include 198 officials and professionals working the air navigation and aeronautical management domains.
This is the seventh edition of the IFAIMA world conference and the first to be held in the Middle East. Implementing AIM The next generation Aeronautical Information Professionals is the theme of this years conference.

The conference will review crucial projects and specialized programmes implemented in different airports and other organizations related to air navigation and aeronautical services. The conference will also have under spotlight outstanding achievements in utilizing modern and Smart technologies and the role of partnership in developing and empowering the air navigation industry.

Ibrahim Ahli, Senior Vice President, DANS, said: The hosting of this important global conference in Dubai reflects its increasing importance on the air navigation world map and its pioneering role in developing the air navigation services in a way that enables us to absorb the tremendous increase in aircraft movements anticipated in the Gulf region in general and the UAE in particular.

He said DANS, through hosting the conference, aims at sharing of expertise and best practices among the air navigation industry players and also to determine the opportunities and challenges facing the industry and the requirements and qualifications for the next generation of professionals handling the Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) systems.

The conference comes at a time when the Airports Council International (ACI) has projected the number of global passengers rising to 7.4 billion by 2020 and aircraft and freight movement surging by 3.5 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively, during the same period. The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) estimates that UAE will have account for a bigger share in the Middle East air traffic growth with the number of aircraft movements reaching 1.13 million by 2015 and 1.63 million by 2030.

The guest speakers for the conference include Fernando Lopes, President of IFAIMA, Mohammed Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Michael Hohm, Technical Expert at ICAOs Meteorology Department, Darren Eulenstein, Head of Meteorology and Air Navigation Information, DANS, Paul Bosman, Head of System-Wide Information Management/Enterprise Architecture (SWIM/EA) at EUROCONTROL, Lawrence Ward, IATA expert, and Joachim Bruja of Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO).

The conference is taking place against the backdrop of increasing regional and global interest in improving air navigation systems to provide accurate, up to date and integrated aeronautical information in real time. This can only be achieved through the deepening and broadening of regional and international cooperation and using of the latest technologies and solutions.

The hosting of the conference in Dubai also assumes importance taking into account the huge expansion of the aircraft fleet by the airlines in the region, the intense market competition and complications in operational environment which calls for the modernization of aeronautical information systems to reduce the operating costs, increase operational efficiency and profitability.

The conference will include six sessions over the three day duration. ICAO will be making a presentation about the implementation AIM system at the regional and global levels.

One session will shed light on the needs and requirements of the aeronautical information users and qualifying the staff in aeronautical information departments to be able to switch from Aeronautical Information System (AIS) to Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) system and achieving integration with ATC. The conference will also explore opportunities and challenges facing the next generation of professionals working on the AIM systems.

A session will take a look at ways of measuring staff efficiency in the context of AIM.
DANS is looking at upgrading the air navigation industry through a slew of programmes and activities that facilitates sharing of knowledge and expertise among the professionals working in this domain sector and also help improve the practices to achieve the highest level of quality and accuracy, regionally and worldwide.

Among the companies participating in the conference are THALES, skyguide, Comsoft, ESRI, ITV Consult, FREQUENTIS, IDS and Avitech Indra.