|
Dubai, UAE, 25 September 2019:
On Wednesday September 25th 2019, in conjunction with the AVSEC Symposium 2019, Emirates Group Security hosted a meeting at Emirates’ Aviation College well attended by members from IATA, government authorities, airlines and aviation security stakeholders.
This unprecedented gathering of regional stakeholders aimed to form the first ever IATA Africa and Middle East Aviation Security Focus Group - a group that gives airlines in the region a voice at the international level on Aviation Security concerns affecting their operations.
The meeting touched on attaining a heightened level of cooperation, as well as the importance of good intelligence which could be converted into actionable plans. Attendees were briefed by officials from IATA and the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) amongst others on the latest AVSEC trends affecting the region, as well future trends such as cybersecurity, drones and overflying conflict zones.
On the meeting, Divisional Senior Vice President of Emirates Group Security Dr Abdulla Al Hashimi explained “Emirates Group Security are proud to work closely with IATA in the formation of the first-ever IATA Africa and Middle East Aviation Security Focus Group. Such focus groups provide a vital link between airlines and regulatory stakeholders who drive the latest international Aviation Security policies. It is also a prime opportunity for attendees to network with like-minded individuals and share ideas for the benefit of the aviation sector as a whole”.
“Security is a top priority for IATA. The IATA Africa and Middle East Aviation Security Focus Group will enable greater engagement with airlines and aviation stakeholders in the Africa and Middle East (AME) region and provide IATA direction on AVSEC priorities. The Focus Group will also assist in the promotion of a security culture for the civil aviation industry in the region and initiate and facilitate collaboration in AME region. IATA would like to thank Emirates Group Security for hosting the initial meeting of the IATA Africa and Middle East Aviation Security Focus Group. ”
The outcomes of this meeting lay the ground work for further coordination and decision-making with members of the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO). A second meeting including AACO is scheduled for October 2019 in Kuwait.
|
