By Mohamed Attia
The Sultanate of Oman hosted on Monday a three-day meeting of the Middle East Regional Aviation Security and Facilitation Group (MID-RASFG) to discuss various challenges that the civil aviation industry is facing today.
The third meeting of the group, which is being hosted by Muscat, discussed co-operation and exchange of experiences to counter those challenges.
“The meeting is an evidence of the effective co-operation and coordination of the countries of the region to keep abreast of developments in the civil aviation arena and the exchange of experiences and best practices,” said Naif bin Ali al Abri, president of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), according to Muscat Daily.
CAA is representing Oman in the meeting, which is being held in co-operation with the regional office for the Middle East of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The sultanate is keen to continue co-operation with the rest of the member states of ICAO, to help overcome all future challenges in the international civil aviation sector and enhance aviation security in general, Abri asserted.
The meeting approved a set of recommendations that respond to the aspirations of the ICAO member states to strengthen security of global civil aviation.
The civil aviation sector represents an important contributor in the comprehensive development of countries, and strengthens the bonds of love and social communication between the peoples of the world.
The meeting covered issues related to planning and implementation of projects in the Middle East region.
The meeting also was aimed to develop and update the Middle East’s civil aviation security facilitation plan, promote related accomplishments and prioritise countries’ needs in relation to the aviation security and facilitation programme.
This covers establishing capacity-building projects and coordinating necessary assistance activities with the countries concerned.
Attended by experts and specialists in the field of aviation security, the meeting sought to establish a regional co-operation framework to limit the associated risks and foster initiatives that keep pace with the international plan of the ICAO.
Oman presented six working papers at the meeting. The papers shed light on the findings and views of security experts at the national and operational levels, specialists in the CAA and the General Administration of Airports Security, airport and aircraft operators, and ground service providers.
The sessions of the meeting included nearly 30 working papers related to the international and regional civil aviation system and ways to keep abreast of developments in the field of aviation.The papers highlighted measures to utilise all capabilities to face challenges to maintain security and safety of air transport in the ME region.
