The Middle East’s growing air traffic congestion could influence long-term aircraft sales of planes in the region, a report said.

Three major airlines and their hubs are separated by around 45 minutes flying time, are rapidly expanding, enhancing the air traffic congestion in the Gulf, added the Gulf News report.

“Air traffic management certainly has the potential, if you don’t upgrade the system, to have a much larger scale impact on commercial aviation,” said Marty A Bentrott, senior vice president sales at Boeing, was quoted as saying in the report.

According to Abdul Wahab Tefaha, AACO secretary general, Arab governments “are all to blame” for the congestion.

“They have not developed air traffic management in line with their infrastructure and airlines,” he said.

A single regional air traffic management system, similar to Europe’s Eurocontrol, must be implemented in the Gulf and then expanded cover other Middle East countries, according to industry professionals, the report said.