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Tribune News Network
Doha
The Arab Air Careers’ Organization (AACO) has decided to adopt the ‘net zero emissions’ target as of 2050 during its 54th annual general meeting (AGM) in Doha on Thursday.
The AGM called upon the European Union to respect the clause included in the annexe of ICAO Assembly Resolution A39-2 and the clause included in the preamble of ICAO Assembly Resolution A39-3 on not imposing unilateral initiatives and to return to the global consensus that took place within the framework of ICAO.
Addressing a press conference after the AGM, AACO Secretary General Abdul Wahab Teffaha said that decision for adoption of the net-zero emissions target is based on the strategy that relates to the joint responsibility of all sectors concerned with civil aviation.
The resolution reaffirms the importance of respecting the Chicago convention and the Bilateral Air Services Agreements in all matters related to civil aviation and international air transport, including all affairs related to the environment.
On the other hand, Teffaha said, the AGM adopted another resolution reflecting what is needed for a faster recovery of the air transport sector from the implications of COVID-19.
In particular, the AGM called upon governments to follow the guidelines of air travel and biosafety that were agreed upon by governments through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and their joint work which culminated in the publishing of the ICAO’s Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce’s Recovery Report and Take-off Guidance which is now available in its 4th edition.
The AGM also commended and welcomed the decision of the Arab League’s Council of Economic and Social Affairs, which adopted general principles for air travel biosafety measures and the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates based on global guidelines by ICAO and the WHO, and called upon governments to implement those principles in the national measures with regards to biosafety and air travel, and directed AACO to support the work of the Arab League jointly with the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, the Arab Tourism Organization, and the International Air Transport Association.
With regards to some countries’ initiatives to agree on travel health corridors and travel bubbles, the AGM called upon those governments to follow ICAO’s guidelines while implementing those measures, particularly that they be temporary and that air services agreements, as they stand, should be the basis for any opening up for air travel under the travel health corridors or travel bubbles.
In addition, he said, the AGM stressed the importance of technology to create touchless processes in all the travel activities and supported the initiatives taken by a number of entities to develop and deploy applications that would facilitate touchless air travel, particularly the IATA Travel Pass and other applications which can be used by
both governments and stakeholders.
Highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the aviation sector, he said, “The global economy in 2020 declined by 3.2 percent and will manage to recover its losses in 2021, while the Arab economy suffered a double hit from the collapse of oil prices due to the global economic recession and effect of the pandemic on the travel and tourism sector which is an essential component of the Arab economy, pushing economic recovery until 2022.”
The contribution of the travel and tourism sector in global GDP dropped from 10.4 percent in 2019 to 5.5 percent in 2020, while in the Arab world the same indicator dropped from 14.4 percent in 2019 to 5.4 in 2020, he said.
“The percentage of job losses in this sector worldwide was around 32 percent of the total jobs lost in 2020, while the percentage of job losses in the Arab world in travel and tourism accounted for 55 percent of the total jobs lost in 2020,” he said.
“Total passenger traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) was globally still 66.7 percent lower in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2019 and less by 80 percent for the Arab airlines,” he said.
With such a deep and lingering impact of the crisis, he said, it is expected that returning to 2019 passenger traffic levels will take three to five years from now, a period that depends heavily on how the world will adapt to a new normal of having an endemic COVID- 19.
The secretary-general also highlighted the evident confusion in how governments around the world dealt with trying to contain the spread of the virus while relying on arbitrary and spontaneous measures, lacking scientific evidence and transparency despite having attended ICAO and the WHO meetings and having agreed on a harmonious checklist and global guidelines.
He explained that the unprecedented crisis is still ongoing despite the gradual and slow restoration of normal life which air transport has lost since last year.
He noted that the world needs to adapt to a new normal where COVID-19 becomes endemic. Accordingly, governments and stakeholders need to follow the guidelines which they themselves have developed through the ICAO and the WHO, and which are based on the application of a set of principles.
The secretary-general brought focus to joint efforts of AACO, with the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, the Arab Tourism Organization, and the International Air Transport Association that resulted in the Arab League’s Economic and Social Affairs Council adopting a resolution.
The secretary-general went on to address the changes in the climate that pushed the entire world to deal with this existential threat in order to achieve a world free of carbon emissions caused by human activities. On that front, the secretary-general emphasized that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires the following stakeholders to do their part in achieving the 2050 goal: governments, manufacturers and technology partners, and fuel and sustainable fuel suppliers.
The secretary-general then discussed the importance of adopting technology and embracing digital transformation, highlighting the qualitative leaps taken by many airlines, airports, and even governments in adopting information technology solutions that allow travellers to conduct all of their transactions electronically, without the need for any intervention or human communication.
He called for further embracing solutions, such as the IATA Travel Pass, as those significantly contribute to alleviating the burdens imposed by the viral situation on travellers first and all stakeholders in air transport.
The AGM that was held under the patronage of Minister of Transport HE Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti, was attended by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, who is also the chairman of the 54th AGM, the CEOs of AACO member airlines, AACO partner airlines and industry partners from aircraft and engine manufacturers, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), IT providers and other specialized companies relevant to the Arab air transport industry.
The AGM also welcomed the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), the European Commission (EC), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in addition to a number of aviation experts, where the number of delegates surpassed 200.
Doha
The Arab Air Careers’ Organization (AACO) has decided to adopt the ‘net zero emissions’ target as of 2050 during its 54th annual general meeting (AGM) in Doha on Thursday.
The AGM called upon the European Union to respect the clause included in the annexe of ICAO Assembly Resolution A39-2 and the clause included in the preamble of ICAO Assembly Resolution A39-3 on not imposing unilateral initiatives and to return to the global consensus that took place within the framework of ICAO.
Addressing a press conference after the AGM, AACO Secretary General Abdul Wahab Teffaha said that decision for adoption of the net-zero emissions target is based on the strategy that relates to the joint responsibility of all sectors concerned with civil aviation.
The resolution reaffirms the importance of respecting the Chicago convention and the Bilateral Air Services Agreements in all matters related to civil aviation and international air transport, including all affairs related to the environment.
On the other hand, Teffaha said, the AGM adopted another resolution reflecting what is needed for a faster recovery of the air transport sector from the implications of COVID-19.
In particular, the AGM called upon governments to follow the guidelines of air travel and biosafety that were agreed upon by governments through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and their joint work which culminated in the publishing of the ICAO’s Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce’s Recovery Report and Take-off Guidance which is now available in its 4th edition.
The AGM also commended and welcomed the decision of the Arab League’s Council of Economic and Social Affairs, which adopted general principles for air travel biosafety measures and the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates based on global guidelines by ICAO and the WHO, and called upon governments to implement those principles in the national measures with regards to biosafety and air travel, and directed AACO to support the work of the Arab League jointly with the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, the Arab Tourism Organization, and the International Air Transport Association.
With regards to some countries’ initiatives to agree on travel health corridors and travel bubbles, the AGM called upon those governments to follow ICAO’s guidelines while implementing those measures, particularly that they be temporary and that air services agreements, as they stand, should be the basis for any opening up for air travel under the travel health corridors or travel bubbles.
In addition, he said, the AGM stressed the importance of technology to create touchless processes in all the travel activities and supported the initiatives taken by a number of entities to develop and deploy applications that would facilitate touchless air travel, particularly the IATA Travel Pass and other applications which can be used by
both governments and stakeholders.
Highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the aviation sector, he said, “The global economy in 2020 declined by 3.2 percent and will manage to recover its losses in 2021, while the Arab economy suffered a double hit from the collapse of oil prices due to the global economic recession and effect of the pandemic on the travel and tourism sector which is an essential component of the Arab economy, pushing economic recovery until 2022.”
The contribution of the travel and tourism sector in global GDP dropped from 10.4 percent in 2019 to 5.5 percent in 2020, while in the Arab world the same indicator dropped from 14.4 percent in 2019 to 5.4 in 2020, he said.
“The percentage of job losses in this sector worldwide was around 32 percent of the total jobs lost in 2020, while the percentage of job losses in the Arab world in travel and tourism accounted for 55 percent of the total jobs lost in 2020,” he said.
“Total passenger traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) was globally still 66.7 percent lower in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2019 and less by 80 percent for the Arab airlines,” he said.
With such a deep and lingering impact of the crisis, he said, it is expected that returning to 2019 passenger traffic levels will take three to five years from now, a period that depends heavily on how the world will adapt to a new normal of having an endemic COVID- 19.
The secretary-general also highlighted the evident confusion in how governments around the world dealt with trying to contain the spread of the virus while relying on arbitrary and spontaneous measures, lacking scientific evidence and transparency despite having attended ICAO and the WHO meetings and having agreed on a harmonious checklist and global guidelines.
He explained that the unprecedented crisis is still ongoing despite the gradual and slow restoration of normal life which air transport has lost since last year.
He noted that the world needs to adapt to a new normal where COVID-19 becomes endemic. Accordingly, governments and stakeholders need to follow the guidelines which they themselves have developed through the ICAO and the WHO, and which are based on the application of a set of principles.
The secretary-general brought focus to joint efforts of AACO, with the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, the Arab Tourism Organization, and the International Air Transport Association that resulted in the Arab League’s Economic and Social Affairs Council adopting a resolution.
The secretary-general went on to address the changes in the climate that pushed the entire world to deal with this existential threat in order to achieve a world free of carbon emissions caused by human activities. On that front, the secretary-general emphasized that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires the following stakeholders to do their part in achieving the 2050 goal: governments, manufacturers and technology partners, and fuel and sustainable fuel suppliers.
The secretary-general then discussed the importance of adopting technology and embracing digital transformation, highlighting the qualitative leaps taken by many airlines, airports, and even governments in adopting information technology solutions that allow travellers to conduct all of their transactions electronically, without the need for any intervention or human communication.
He called for further embracing solutions, such as the IATA Travel Pass, as those significantly contribute to alleviating the burdens imposed by the viral situation on travellers first and all stakeholders in air transport.
The AGM that was held under the patronage of Minister of Transport HE Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti, was attended by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, who is also the chairman of the 54th AGM, the CEOs of AACO member airlines, AACO partner airlines and industry partners from aircraft and engine manufacturers, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), IT providers and other specialized companies relevant to the Arab air transport industry.
The AGM also welcomed the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), the European Commission (EC), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in addition to a number of aviation experts, where the number of delegates surpassed 200.
