Prince Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Saud, chairman of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, inaugurated the 5th Air Services Negotiation Conference in Jeddah organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
In his opening speech, Prince Fahad pointed out that this conference will achieve the Kingdom's aspirations for more profound relationships between the participating countries as well as exchanging experiences and exploring more investment opportunities in the aviation industry.
ICAO is a leading organization in the field of civil aviation. As such it is of the utmost importance that the Kingdom extends its cooperation, either in the frame of the organization itself or in a multiple bilateral frame, Prince Fahad said.
The Kingdom's effort comes in line with developing local civil aviation. There is a network of airports in the country that consist of 27 airports with navigation and security systems. It is keen to keep apace with developments in the global civil aviation industry at both the technological and economic level. In addition, it has adopted strategic plans in accordance with business principles and criteria, taking into account the process of liberalizing the aviation sector in the Kingdom and its development to improve the level of services to all beneficiaries and achieve financial self-sufficiency .
Prince Fahad emphasized that civil aviation in the Arab region has strong capabilities and grand opportunities of growth which can make it a promising market.
Vice-Chairman of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, Faisal bin Hamad Suqair, said that this meeting of decision makers is a cornerstone for further bilateral agreements that brings hope for refreshing the staging economy, adding that the aviation industry is one of the important pivots to support social and economic world development.
Coupe Gonzalez, head of the International Organization of Civil Aviation said that the importance of this conference lies in the resulting bilateral agreements between member states. This, in turn, will increase the number of trips, improve the services presented and enhance security for all parties involved.
Coupe demanded that companies should focus on performance, growth, developing information and take advantage of the technological advance in the field. He expects that demand on civil aviation industry will double in the coming two decades. This calls for serious cooperation through such conferences, said Coupe.
Despite pressure on the world economy and its effects on the social aspects of life, it is very important to make efforts in order to boost civil aviation efficiency through the opening of markets and the establishments of partnerships between member states. Yet the most important aspect remains to focus on the safety factor, said Coupe.
Events of the conference included seminars on the policy of air transportation, its visions and future plans, as well as outlooks of the industry.
Civil aviation shows strong opportunities for growth
