The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on governments and industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to focus on four priorities to secure the future of aviation in the region against the backdrop of a challenging operating environment.
The four priorities are:
- Cost competitiveness
- Infrastructure
- Harmonized regulation, and
- Gender diversity
“The direction of the global economy is uncertain. Trade tensions are
taking their toll. The region is at the nexus of conflicting
geopolitical forces with real consequences for aviation. And airspace
capacity constraints have become more extreme. But people want to
travel. And economies in MENA are thirsty for the benefits that aviation
brings,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a
keynote speech at the 52nd Annual General Meeting of the Arab Air
Carriers Organization (AACO) in Kuwait.
Cost-competitive Operating Environment
IATA highlighted the need for low-cost infrastructure for airlines in MENA.
“Some airlines in the region are doing well, but overall Middle East
carriers are expected to lose USD $5 per passenger this year—far below
the global average of USD $6 profit per passenger. Low-cost
infrastructure is essential. Our message to governments is simple:
follow ICAO principles, consult users with full transparency and
recognize that rising costs have long-term negative consequences.
Aviation’s benefits are in the economic activity that the industry
catalyzes, not in the tax receipts it generates,” said de Juniac.
Infrastructure
IATA recognized the foresight of governments in the region in developing
airport infrastructure and urged them to harness the power of
technology to ensure that the infrastructure operates efficiently for
airlines and conveniently for passengers.
”MENA governments have understood that infrastructure investments are
needed to capture aviation’s economic and social benefits. But adequate
infrastructure is not just about the bricks and mortar. The technology
that we put into airports is as important. Passengers expect
technologies like biometric identification and smart phones to shorten
wait times and make airport processes more efficient,” said de Juniac.
IATA called on the region to continue to take a leading role in using
technology to drive improvement in the passenger experience,
highlighting recent projects at airports in Dubai, Doha and Muscat that
use biometric technology. The projects are aligned with industry’s One
ID vision for biometric identification which enables paperless travel.
Harmonizing the Regulatory Environment
IATA stressed the need for regulatory harmonization across the industry
and urged governments to implement the global standards that they have
agreed to.
- Safety: De Juniac called on regulators in the region to use the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) to complement their own national safety oversight activities. Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Iran and Syria have already done so. The safety performance of airlines on the IOSA registry is three times better than airlines not on the registry.
- Consumer Protection Regulations: De Juniac raised concerns over the proliferation of disparate consumer protection regulations in the region and called on Arab states to follow ICAO guidance.
- Boeing 737 MAX: De Juniac called on a united approach by regulators to help rebuild confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX as efforts continue to ensure a safe return to service.
Gender Diversity
IATA called for airlines in the region to support the recently launched 25by2025 Campaign.
“It is no secret that women are under-represented in some technical
professions as well as in senior management at airlines. It is also
well-known that we are a growing industry that needs a big pool of
skilled talent. If we don’t engage the female half of the world’s
population much more effectively, we won’t have the needed people power
to grow,” said de Juniac.
The 25by2025 Campaign is a voluntary program to address the airline
industry’s gender imbalance. Participating airlines commit to increase
the number of women at senior levels and in key positions by 25% or to a
minimum of 25% by 2025. From MENA Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian
have already taken up this commitment.
Building a Sustainable Future
IATA addressed climate change and spoke about the industry’s efforts to
cut its emissions. De Juniac called on governments in the region to
support the industry’s goal of capping carbon emissions from 2020 by
participating in CORSIA—the Carbon Reduction and Offsetting Scheme for
International Aviation—from the initial voluntary period.
“We must make CORSIA as comprehensive as possible from the voluntary
period. In this region only Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have
signed-up. This will cover most of the anticipated growth, but still we
must encourage more states to join the effort,” said de Juniac.
