RIYADH, 20 April — A symposium on aviation has recommended that a future strategy be mapped out to ensure safety on the ground and in the air, to cope with the increasing demands on airspace, and to use new technology to combat hijackings.
The three-day event concluded on Thursday with a message to ensure safer skies in the post-Sept. 11 era of global aviation industry.
"The Kingdom has made significant advancements in the development of capabilities that ensure safety on all fronts in the aviation sector," said Gen. Abdulaziz Al-Hunedi, commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
Gen. Al-Hunedi was speaking during the concluding session of the aviation symposium, which was earlier inaugurated by Prince Abdulrahman, deputy minister of defense and aviation.
The RSAF chief said that new advances in technology have improved Air Traffic Control capabilities, allowing for a more efficient and safe control of large volumes of air traffic.
The Kingdom has set up world-class control towers, in addition to multifunctional navigation and instrument displays installed in all new aircraft. He said, "We have also been deploying trained personnel like air guards on board our aircraft to foil any hijacking attempt".
The Kingdom has been bolstering its air capability by acquiring more aircraft, radars and the latest defense equipment.
