UAE joins international deliberations on Air Navigation

The UAE, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is currently participating in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 12th Air Navigation Conference (ANC/12) at the ICAO headquarter in Montreal, Canada. Ahmed Al Jallaf , the Executive Director of Air Navigation Services is heading the UAE delegation in the conference. The UAE was also represented by wide representation from the industry. The conference, which is conveyed every 10 years, has adopted the theme of "One Sky" for the conference. The core subject of the conference evolves around the acceptance of the amended Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP), through the Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU), which makes this event one of the most important ICAO events of recent years. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of GCAA, commented: "The conference is of vital importance to us as it draws the air navigation roadmap for the next decade. We have to ensure that the agreed conclusions and outcome is in line with the UAE strategy". The conference is attended by more than 1200 participants representing 135 ICAO Member States, 30 International Organizations in a testament to the global importance of this event. "Global aviation community recognizes the deficiencies in the industry as a result of lack of harmonization and inconsistent implementation of vital projects. The UAE airspace for example is subject to severe restrictions and constrains as a result of the regional congestions and bottlenecks. We seek regional and global enhancements through harmonization to improve the safety and efficiency of the air traffic management," Al Jallaf said. On this occasion, the UAE hosted a luncheon reception on the opening day of the conference that saw 1200 participants enjoying a traditional dish. On the occasion, Al Jallaf in a speech highlighted the achievements of the UAE aviation sector and urged the global community to properly address the existing challenges and put the right solutions through enhancing the coordination and harmonization. During the next 2 weeks the UAE delegation aims at actively participating in the conference by addressing the submitted documentation focusing on how the next GANP will affect the UAE FIR and the MID region.