By Mohamed Attia
On the sidelines of the 41st General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, met with Ms. Azucena Zelaya, President of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC), and Mr. Jaime Bender, the Commission’s Secretary General. The meeting was also attended by Captain Amr El-Sharkawy, Chairman of Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority, and Warim Orabi, Egypt’s Alternate Representative to ICAO.
Talks focused on unifying positions within ICAO on issues of common interest and setting priorities for the coming phase, including raising aviation safety and security standards and advancing digital transformation across the air transport industry. Preparations for an upcoming transition in LACAC’s presidency were also reviewed.
Dr. El-Hefny expressed his gratitude for Latin American support of Egypt’s candidacy for ICAO Council membership, noting that it reflects the depth of relations between the two sides. He emphasized Egypt’s commitment to expanding cooperation, exchanging expertise, and working closely with LACAC to strengthen the sustainability of the global air transport sector. “Egypt attaches great importance to strengthening relations with Latin American countries,” El-Hefny stressed, adding that continued consultation and coordination with LACAC serve the mutual interests of member states and reinforce Egypt’s role as a pivotal player in international aviation.
For her part, Azucena Zelaya hailed Egypt as a “key partner” in efforts to unify positions within ICAO and advance the aviation industry at both regional and international levels. She reaffirmed the Commission’s keenness to develop cooperation with Egypt in aviation safety, security, digital transformation, and capacity building.
The meeting underscored the growing partnership between Egypt and Latin America in shaping the future of global civil aviation.
