RIYADH: Air transport services linking Saudi Arabia and Sierra Leone are set to strengthen following the signing of a deal aimed at establishing regulatory frameworks between the two nations.
The agreement was inked by Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser and Alhaji Fanday Turay, Sierra Leone’s minister of transport and aviation, on the sidelines of the 15th International Conference on Air Services Negotiations in Riyadh.
This move aligns with the principles of the Chicago Convention on international civil aviation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The bilateral agreement between the two nations complements the International Civil Aviation Agreement, known as the Chicago Convention, signed in 1944. The treaty regulates international civil aviation, ensuring fair and equal opportunities for all parties involved.
The deal seeks to keep pace with the developments in bilateral regulation, including the organization of granting air transport rights and the application of internationally recognized standards for the designation and licensing of airlines. Moreover, it aims to enhance rules and standards for aviation safety, civil aviation security, and fair competition.
It also serves the common economic interests of national carriers, promoting their effective and continuous participation in serving their transport markets through the application of modern market entry patterns and comprehensive management of all forms of air transport.
The agreement is part of the strategic objectives of the Saudi civil aviation sector aimed at building international partnerships and signing new bilateral agreements that will support the ambitious goals of the country’s strategy to enhance its global air connectivity to 250 destinations.
Posting a comment on the X platform following the signing of the deal, Turay said that that the agreement with Saudi Arabia “will provide great opportunity and open more doors in the Sierra Leonean aviation sector as envisioned by President Julius Maada Bio.”
