RIYADH — The work of the 19th meeting of the Middle East Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group and the 9th Meeting of the Regional Aviation Safety Group concluded its 4-day meeting with review of major developments on Thursday.

The meetings were organized by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and in cooperation with the Regional Office of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in the Middle East (ICAO MID).

Officials from civil aviation authorities in the member states, representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), the International Air Transport Association in the Middle East, and a number of international aviation industry organizations participated.

The meetings that took place during the period of Feb. 14-17, 2022, resulted in the election of the member states of the Middle East Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG-MID) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and Saudi Arabia as the head of the (RASG-MID) - ICAO.

During the meetings, the participants dealt with several axes, including reviewing and discussing the latest international developments in the field of air navigation, and the outcomes of the World Safety Conference 2021.

It also discussed the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation sector, and the outputs of the regional work teams in the field of air navigation, airports, environment and meteorology. This is in addition to the Middle East region's preparations for managing air traffic flow for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Kingdom also presented several working papers and flow of information, the most prominent of which was its current practice in protecting aviation systems.

This is in addition to briefing members of the Middle East countries and participating organizations on the latest developments of infrastructure projects for air navigation and search and rescue systems, and the latest environmental sustainability models for airports. Further, many working papers were presented during the meetings.

The meetings, which were held at the conclusion of their work, recommended ensuring the continuous and consistent development of international civil aviation in the Middle East region and in connection with neighboring regions and in accordance with the international rules and recommendations issued by the ICAO and the global air navigation plan for air navigation and air traffic management systems.

Furthermore, it sought to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of the provision of air navigational services in a manner that ensures safety, regularity and efficiency in the Middle East region.

The international civil aviation sector works on the principle of cooperation between the contracting member states with the organization.

The contracting states implement their international obligations to enhance the safety and efficiency of the aviation sector to achieve sustainable growth in an integrated manner among the member states in the Middle East region, as well as between the neighboring regions. — SG