IATA Tackles Top Issues In Casablanca
IATA highlighted four priorities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) which must be addressed for aviation to deliver maximum economic and social benefits.
Those priorities include:
- Sufficient and affordable infrastructure capacity (including air traffic management), aligned with user needs.
- Curbing the spate of unprecedented increases in taxes and charges over the last year.
- Aligning consumer protection regulations with global standards.
- Enhancing security efforts.
The airline industry association notes that passenger demand in MENA is set to expand by 4.8% each year on average over the next 20 years, to become a market of 400 million passengers in 2035.
If that demand is met, the number of jobs supported by aviation in the region will grow from 2.4 million to 3.9 million over the same period.
And aviation’s contribution to regional GDP will increase from $157.2 billion to $359.5 billion.
In his opening remarks at the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) in Casablanca, Morocco, IATA’s director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac observed that:
“Aviation is the business of freedom. Its success generates prosperity. A safe, secure, efficient and sustainable air transport industry contributes to the welfare of nations. Strengthening aviation, in partnership with governments, pays huge social and economic dividends.”
He pointed out that: “Airlines in MENA face very different business challenges. But whether building or protecting competitiveness, cost-efficient infrastructure, global standards, reasonable costs and secure operations are critical.”
And IATA’s boss urged the region to address four key areas – infrastructure, rising costs, consumer protection and security.
Go to http://www.iata.org for more.
