By Mohamed Attia
Egypt hosted, for the first time, the activities of the International Conference Global AIM Cairo 2023, held from May 23 to 25. This comes under the auspices of the United Aviation Technology Services Company, United ATS, and in co-operation with the Egyptian Aviation Information Officers Association (EIAMA).
Representatives of 190 countries around the world attended the event, including members of International Federation of Aeronautical Information Management Associations (IFAIMA).
Chairman of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) Captain Amr el-Sharkawy delivered a speech during the conference on behalf of Minister of Civil Aviation Lieutenant General Pilot Mohamed Abbas, during which he welcomed the Egyptian guests participating in the conference, which Egypt is hosting for the first time.
El-Sharkawy stressed that the conference is a good opportunity that contributes to discussing development steps in air navigation, and applying modern systems and technologies in the field of aviation information.
He reviewed the best practices in air traffic management, in addition to the opportunities and challenges facing the industry in the technical fields and qualifying human elements.
The head of the Civil Aviation Authority appreciated the efforts made by International Federation of Aeronautical Information Management Associations and the important role it has been playing since 2015 in co-operation with ICAO, in order to enhance the safety and efficiency of air traffic.
El-Sharkawy noted that Egypt is one of the first founding and active countries in the field of air transport industry, as the Egyptian civil aviation sector has made, throughout its 93-year history, effective contributions to upgrade aviation system.
He referred to the support of flight information services as one of the important and influential activities in boosting the air transport industry at all levels through dynamic and integrated management.
He stressed the need to exchange information in the field of digital flight data in line with the operational and technical requirements in the field of air traffic management in co-operation with all member states.
For his part, Fernando Lopez, former president of IFAIMA, welcomed the members of the International Federation from all countries of the world.
He said that 15 years after the founding of IFAIMA and addressing many challenges facing the international aviation information community, we can complete efforts with Fumi Ademiah, the new president of the association, after being selected in the General Assembly that took place before the start of our annual meeting.
Fernando Lopez thanked Egypt for hosting the annual meeting of the IFAIMA. He also thanked the United Aviation Technology Company for sponsoring this event in co-operation with the Egyptian Aviation Information Officers Association.
For her part, Fumi Ademiah expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the former IFAIMA president over the years to serve the aviation information community, adding that the goal of this year’s IFAIMA meeting is to move towards digital transformation and break into the digital mechanisms of air navigation systems.
Chairman of United for Aviation Technology Services (United ATS) Reda el-Madbouly welcomed the international community of IFAIMA again after the coronavirus pandemic, as the last time the International Federation met was in 2019.
Madbouly voiced his appreciation for the efforts of the federation during the past few years to support workers in the aviation information departments to face the challenges.
He thanked the Ministry of Civil Aviation for efforts to hold the annual conference and its support for the United ATS for hosting this event in Egypt for the first time.
The president of the United ATS appreciated the efforts of the aviation information officers to serve the safety of global air traffic, amid great challenges facing the international industry, stressing the vital role played by the aviation information departments.
The conference witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between United ATS and the General Authority of Civil Aviation in the United Arab Emirates, in the field of civil aviation training.
The IFAIMA Global AIM Cairo 2023 International Conference, attended by 250 people working in aviation information officers’ departments around the world representing 190 countries, discussed several important issues, most notably the upcoming developments in Flight information management and digital transformation, as well as the review of the Global Aeronautics Plan (GANP) and training and rehabilitation processes.
The IFAIMA selected Egypt to host its General Assembly this year, following a vote at its last Assembly, held two years ago, sponsored by United ATS, in co-operation with the EIAMA.
IFAIMA is a nonprofit global federation whose mission is to protect the professional interests of flight information management personnel and to support the level of knowledge and business professionalism among AIM personnel who are members of the 190-nation federation.
The United ATS, a member of IFAIMA since 2014, plays a key role in aviation safety by providing specialised and professional services that comply with international standards.
The IFAIMA has provided annual training grants and non-profit advisory services aimed at serving the international aviation information community.
