MUSCAT, JULY 14 - As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure the best global standards, Oman Airports signed yesterday an agreement with Germany’s Aaronia AG in partnership with R & N Khimji LLC of the Sultanate to supply and install the latest Drone Detection System at Muscat International Airport, which makes it the first international airport in the world to have an operational drone detection system. The agreement was signed by Shaikh Aimen bin Ahmed al Hosni, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Airports and Ramesh Khimji, Chairman — R & N Khimji LLC.
Commenting on the signing of the agreement, Oman Airports’ CEO stated: “We are pleased, at Oman Airports, as one of the subsidiaries of Oman Aviation Group, to be actively engaged in attracting world-class cutting-edge technologies. We take ownership of the airports management within the context of our strategic priorities as we strive to attain the highest standards of the most advanced global airports by demonstrating a firm commitment to uphold the highest standards of security, safety and operational efficiency in order to provide a safe and smooth travel experience for all Oman airports’ users. Today, in coordination with all our strategic partners, we are pleased to sign the introduction of this latest security system consisting of the supply and installation of the Drone Detection System at Muscat International Airport, in cooperation with the German Company, Aaronia AG in partnership with R & N Khimji LLC.”
He added: “With the signing of this agreement, Muscat International Airport will be one of the leading international airports equipped with the latest and most sophisticated equipment that enhance air navigation and contribute to safe and secure landing and take-off activities at the airport. This falls within our priorities to ensure the highest degree of safety for passengers and airlines using Oman’s airports.”
The CEO further stated: “The system is able to detect drones and other devices using radio frequency to protect the surrounding areas of the airport including the landing and take-off runway. The system can detect multiple drones and other devices at various frequencies simultaneously and comes equipped with sophisticated long-range cameras for additional verification. Aaronia has been working with high end Radio Frequency (RF) and Microwave systems for over 15 years with all software and hardware being developed in Germany.”
Drone detection in airports has become a vital requirement with several instances causing disruption of airport services around the world, said the CEO. “We, at Oman Airports, seek to use the latest systems and technologies to ensure the highest standards of safety. The limitation of most systems using Radar technology is that they cause interference with existing airport systems and have a low detection rate. Aaronia’s unique solution, offered today at our airport, uses latest RF detection technologies and emits no signals, therefore cannot interfere with other systems running in our airports.”
Shaikh Aimen al Hosni added: “Oman Airports is continuously searching for optimal solutions to enhance our capabilities and the work environment at our airports in the Sultanate. The system that we are going to install at Muscat International Airport can detect the location of the operator of the drone, which allows immediate coordination with the competent authorities to address any situation. With the conformation of the procurement of the system, Muscat International Airport will be the first International Airport in the World to use this technology and to have an operational Drone Detection System.”
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