Aircraft engines dust ingestion in the Middle East

Commercial aircraft operations in the Middle East are projected to grow at an annual rate of 5.1% over the next 20 years. However, aircraft operating in this region are frequently exposed to high concentrations of mineral dust, which can cause significant engine damage and reduce component lifetimes. This study presents a methodology that integrates real-world flight trajectory data with a numerical weather model to quantify the amount of dust ingested by aero engines. A large-scale analysis was conducted on 30,000 flights operated by a narrow-body aircraft across 12 Middle Eastern airports to assess regional variability in dust ingestion. The vertical distribution of ingested dust was examined, revealing a peak in the core dust ingested between 2000 and 5000 feet, with a secondary peak around 10,000 feet. These patterns are primarily driven by the climb phase, where significant time is spent within dust-laden altitude bands, as the aircraft increases the forward flight velocity, thereby contributing significantly to overall dust exposure. Holding patterns were identified in less than 1% of flights, with the primary driver for variability in ingested dust mass attributed to the radar vectored approaches and deviations from published arrival paths.