Middle East makes commitment to improve ATM across the region

CANSO, the Global Voice of air traffic management (ATM), today announced its 'Middle East Declaration', a statement committing the members of its Middle East Office and other aviation stakeholders in the region to work together to improve ATM across the Middle East.

The Declaration was endorsed yesterday by all the organisations attending the CANSO Middle East High Level meeting. Representatives included all the Members of the CANSO Middle East Region, key civil aviation organisations and ANSPs, Airlines, IATA, ICAO, and several important industry suppliers.

The Declaration acknowledges the importance of aviation in the Middle East and recognises the importance of a collective response by all stakeholders – aviation business sectors, States and international organisations – to cooperate to meet the ‘unprecedented’ challenges facing air navigation services in the region.

It endorses the CANSO Middle East REDSEA vision to “Realise, Enhance and Develop Seamless Efficient Airspace’ through a seven-pillar high-level strategy and four work programmes, and it aims to encourage “the successful transformation of ATM in the region.”

H.E. Abdullah M.N. Al-Rehaimi, President of GACA Saudi Arabia was elected chairman of the group. he said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been elected Chairman of the Middle East CANSO CEO Committee (MEC3). GACA is determined to help facilitate closer cooperation between the aviation stakeholders in the Middle East and we are committed to supporting CANSO and its objectives.

'The Middle East Declaration reinforces the will of all the aviation sectors in the region to deliver improved air navigation services and on behalf of the MEC3 I look forward to a successful implementation of the CANSO Middle East work programme, based on our vision and High Level Strategy for the region.”

H.E. Saif Mohammed Al-Suwaidi, Director General of UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said: “GCAA has recently joined the CANSO family but we have already seen the benefits that come from being part of a worldwide network of ANSPs. As a progressive and leading ANSP, GCAA is working with our partners to take advantage of the best practices and new technologies developing in ATM and I am sure that in the spirit of this Declaration, the Middle East ANSPs will lift their capabilities to a new level.”