JEDDAH, 29 March 2007 — On the final day of the three-day “International Arab Aviation Safety Conference” yesterday, organizers made a recommendation to launch a joint Arab project entitled “The Arab Initiative for Air Safety” with an aim of improving both the level of air security in the region and existing infrastructure.
The proposal was included in the conference’s final communique, which called for the establishment of a framework for a joint Arab strategy to develop air security in the region on the basis of recommendations made by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other concerned organizations.
The communique also called for the strengthening of strategic partnerships among all concerned private and government sectors by holding annual seminars, conferences and workshops.
On the sideline of the conference a number of security contracts were signed between airlines and security companies.
In a press conference, Abdul Hameed Abalary, director of Aviation Security of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said, “The final communique emphasized the importance of the air transportation industry and its role in the development of the national economy.”
He also stressed the importance of air security in the Arab world and how security strengthens the international air transportation industry. Abalary said security was imperative on the basis of the 1944 Chicago Agreement that highlighted the need to establish safe air transportation.
He emphasized the need to maintain pace with the international arena to support and strengthen flight security regionally and internationally and called for the setting up of a foundation to implement international standards for aviation security. The GACA chief also stressed the importance of civil aviation security on the international level, especially taking into consideration the continuous threats and dangers.
In his speech Capt. Jihad Irshaid, former director general of Jordan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said that the main goal of having air security officers on board aircraft is to prevent intruders from the flight cabin and to provide security to passengers and cabin crew.
Ian Jack, security adviser for the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), pointed out that air security has become a tiring ordeal for passengers that takes up a lot of time, delays flights and costs much money and effort. He added that security has forced a lot of passengers to shun certain airports and airlines and choose other means of transportation.
