Muscat Air Traffic Control Centre Visit
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On 29 November 2017, 11 Bachelor’s students of the Electronics and Communication Engineering section, Ibri college of Technology visited Muscat Air Traffic Control Centre. Student details are given below:
| Student No. | Student Name | |
| 1 | 72J1318 | Hajar Said Mubarak AL Mamari |
| 2 | 72J13205 | Laila Hamed Muhanna Al Shibli |
| 3 | 72J13179 | Khulud Ali Salim Al-Abri |
| 4 | 72S12145 | Ahmed Ali Musabah Al-Maqbali |
| 5 | 72J1397 | Abir Saif Mohammed Al Kalbani |
| 6 | 76J1369 | Aliya Mohammed Suliman AL-Rashdia |
| 7 | 72J1316 | Amira Said Sulaiyam Al-ghassani |
| 8 | 72S12170 | Haitham Rashid Qasim Al Kalbani |
| 9 | 72S13167 | Fatma salem AL-Ghafriah |
| 10 | 72J13175 | Saada Said Mubarak Al-Kalbani |
| 11 | 72S11101 | Mazin Mohammed Sulaiman Al Alawi |
Muscat Air Activity Control Centre deals with the whole upper airspace of Oman. The new system manages the Air Traffic Management, supporting flights in transit and giving methodology, control and administration at the Muscat and Salalah International Airports. It would control four other territorial airplane terminals (Sohar, Ras Al Hadd, Duqum and Adam). The Air Traffic Management System was furnished with runway development direction and observing frameworks introduced by Indra Systems, a Spain based telecommunication company. It is equipped with 56 inch radar screens, a first in the world. This modernized control centre gives air activity controllers the capacity to deal with an expected 1,500 flights each day. Students went through the ATM Equipment Centre, ACC(RADAR Monitor). There are around 30 radar screen installed by Indra Systems, that can take care of 11 diverse segments of Air Traffic in Oman.
Oman’s airspace has been divided into five sectors for the management of the air traffic namely the northern, southern, eastern, western and the middle sectors. Some of the safety measures available at ACC (Air Traffic Control Centre) include the conflict alert system when two aircraft are close to each other.
To tackle the growing air traffic, the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) has launched the sixth sector of the Omani airspace, and since then there have been improvements in the air traffic management and the communication networks. The authority is also working to add a seventh sector in the Omani airspace, which is expected to launched by the end of this year.
Benefits of the Visit
- It enabled real time learning about radar principles and its applications
- Students became more acquainted with how the Air Traffic Control Center works.
- It gave a good opportunity to interact with workers/managers (PACA/ACC) and understand their industry. This will be very useful for students who wish to take up similar careers in future
- Had a chance to interact with the country’s radar chief, Mr. Mohammed Al–Alawi.
- It gave the proper insight about the work culture and nature of the ACC
- It helped students to see world biggest 56 inch radar screen
- Understand that six radar sites (Musandam, Dqum, Salalah, Ras Al Hadd, two in Muscat) available in Sultanate of Oman (One Primary Radar there in MUSCAT). Only 90% coverage because of high mountain regions.
- Some of the Students have decided to take their OJT at ACC .
Overall, it provides an opportunity to plan, organize and engage in active learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Finally, Radar Principles and Applications was presented by Mr. Mohammed Al-Alawi, Chief of Radar Section, ACC. That was a highly professional, inspiring and informative presentation. He conveyed that every 15 years primary radar needs to be changed and for Air Traffic Management we need to have Pulse Radar. Mr. Mohammed motivated the students by asking basic questions about radar and basic communication systems. All the students benefited from this visit.