Mubasher: Aiming to enhance safety, efficiency, and performance levels, airport operations digitalization is progressing rapidly to handle the increasing number of global passengers, with the traffic in the Middle East region alone expected to surpass 240 million in 2026, according to a recent report.
The number of global passengers, meanwhile, is expected to reach an all-time high of 5.20 billion in 2026 and 17.70 billion by 2043, the year when the total number of aircraft movements is projected to reach 149 million.
The Middle East region is home to 110 airports and one of the world’s fastest-growing air travel corridors, in addition to being proactively modernizing its Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) infrastructure through acquiring advanced digital solutions to be at the cutting-edge of the highly competitive business.
Meanwhile, airports in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) are spending millions of USD to tectonically transform the ATM/ATC as these domains are coming under heavy beneficial impact of the new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and big data.
The high-density air traffic levels have been prompting the airports in these three regions to massively invest in the integration of AI technologies and big data solutions into their ATM systems to continuously analyze the air traffic patterns, aircraft spacing, and airspace safety, among other tasks.
It is worth noting that the Airport Show will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 12 to 14 May 2026, which is set to attract more than 7,000 visitors from over 30 countries during its three-day run, in addition to 120 hosted buyers.
More than 150 exhibitors from over 30 countries are set to participate in the landmark show, while a wide range of cutting-edge ATM/ATC solutions for the Air Navigation Services Providers (ANSPs) and airport operators will be showcased at the 25th edition of the event.
The CEO of Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans), Ibrahim Ahli, said: "The rapid evolution of the aviation landscape—driven by fleet modernization, airport expansion, and the surge in global connectivity—places unprecedented demand on Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs).”
Ahli noted: “To navigate the complexities of limited runway capacity and airspace congestion, we at Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans) are revolutionizing our Air Traffic Management capabilities.”
The CEO concluded: “By synchronizing our strategic roadmap with the aggressive growth of Dubai’s aviation sector, we leverage state-of-the-art technology to deliver a service that is not only proficient and cost-effective but truly unrivalled."
dans has inked an agreement for cutting-edge research aimed at reducing holding patterns for all flights arriving at DXB, and ensuring a safer and more efficient airspace management. In partnership with Emirates Aviation University (EAU), it is conducting research for advancing AI applications within ATM and developing innovative AI-driven concepts and prototypes.
It has been working on upgrading Communication, Navigation, Surveillance (CNS) systems, implementing advanced runway capacity concepts like Dependent Diagonals, and scaling up capacities to handle traffic at the Al Maktoum International Airport, which is undergoing a $35 billion expansion to handle 260 million passengers by the mid-2030s.
From her part, May Ismail, Event Manager at RX Middle East, organizers of the Airport Show, said: “New technologies are being utilized in the ATM domain to enhance safety, efficiency, and capacity.”
Ismail added: “Their AI and Big Data integration will improve the safety and reliability, and transform the ATM into an intelligent, adaptive, smarter, and safer system. The Airport Show-2026 will showcase the best of ATM/ATC offerings from across the world, for the Middle East and other nearby regions to benefit.”
Exhibiting and supporting the airport industry’s leading B2B platform will be dans, the Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP) at the UAE’s four airports, including DXB, the world’s busiest airport for international passengers since 2014, and the operator of the world’s largest 360-degree tower simulator.
Meanwhile, the AI systems are helping optimize flight paths in real-time, adjusting routes to avoid congestion, reduce delays, and ensure more efficient airspace usage. The global ATM market size is projected to reach $10.96 billion in 2026 and $21.24 billion by 2034.
Global air traffic is expected to reach 9.70 billion passengers annually by 2030, placing enormous pressure on ATM infrastructure.
By the mid-2030s, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) predicts that over 200,000 flights will take off and land daily all over the world.
By 2040, global RPK is projected to reach 14.80 trillion in the IATA baseline scenario, equivalent to 178% of 2019 volume.
By 2043, roughly 149 million aircraft movements are expected. A study has found that AI predictive models have reduced air traffic delays by 18% in the European airspace.
In the US, AI-based decision support tools have improved controller response times by 22%, contributing to enhanced safety margins.
ICAO noted that AI predictive analytics have decreased unexpected system failures by 25%, enhancing operational continuity.
