OREANDA-NEWS.  Doha International Airport was this week honoured to host the 2nd Aerodrome Certification Implementation Task Force meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Middle East regional office.

The three-day event in the Qatari capital was aimed at fostering inter-governmental collaboration in the field of aerodrome certification and aviation safety.

The Task Force meeting brought together operational and safety experts from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, as well as from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US-based Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Discussions and working papers centred on aerodrome certification requirements for airports in the region, and processes and implementation of the mandates, in addition to future work programmes.

Doha International Airport (DIA) and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority have jointly undertaken a very intense aerodrome certification process, and are preparing for the opening of Qatar’s brand new Hamad International Airport this year.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker, who is also CEO of Doha International Airport, opened the proceedings with a welcome speech during which he said the country was looking forward to moving to Hamad International Airport this year.

He also highlighted that safety remained the topmost priority for the aviation industry – airlines and airports – and relayed the message that all related parties must work collectively for the benefit of the industry to ensure safety is paramount.

“EASA is leading by example of how effective multiple governments, together with the airport industry, can collectively put together their combined experience and expertise in the interest of enhancing aviation safety,” he told delegates.

“EASA has worked in close collaboration with the national safety regulators of more than 30 European states, also with representatives of the aviation industry in our region to develop a new common aerodrome regulatory framework that will come into effect in Europe by 2014, and will also be shared with the Middle East at this time.”

He also said that at the heart of DIA’s efforts was the establishment of a robust Safety Management System, which is well integrated with the structure of the Qatar Airways Group and will transfer to Hamad International.