Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was hosted by Royal Air Maroc and held in Casablanca between 28th – 30thNov. 2016, had concluded its work under the chairmanship of Mr. Abdelhamid Addou, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Air Maroc. Eng. Saleh N. al-Jasser, DG of Saudi Arabian Airlines and member of the Executive Committee of AACO, headed the delegation of Saudia. The meeting featured the attendance of Mr. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, AACO Secretary General, 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 Commission (ACAC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the European Commission, and a number of regional airline associations, in addition to a number of aviation experts, where the number of delegates surpassed 250.
AACO approved a number of strategic resolutions regarding aviation and the environment, passenger right, air traffic management and airspace capacity in the Arab world, aviation security and facilitation, and recruiting pilots from AACO members.
AACO Secretary General presented his report on the state of the Arab air transport where he presented some statistics that show the development of AACO member airlines and their contribution to economic development. The Secretary General referred to the continuous progress recorded by the air transport industry in spite of numerous crises occurring in some areas of the world which have an effect on the air transport industry due to its global nature.
AGM reviewed AACO’s Annual Report which reflects the yearly harvest of AACO’s work during the past term and highlights the latest developments and challenges at industry level in addition to the achievements of AACO joint projects over the past year. The delegates also received a copy of the Arab Air Transport Statistics publication (AATS) covering 2015 data.
It is worth mentioning that Saudi Arabian Airlines had hosted AACO 48th AGM which was held under the auspices of His Royal Highness the adviser of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince of Makkah region, and featured the attendance of CEOs of Arabian and International airlines and organization. The organization of the event was appreciated and lauded by the attendees.