Arab Air Carriers Organization 40th Annual General Meeting

The first order of business was to pay a tribute to Dr. Assaad Kotaite, President Emeritus of the Council of ICAO.

The AGM was attended by AACO member airlines' Chief Executive Officers and representatives of 45 companies, partners with AACO, from aircraft and engine manufactures to Aviation Consultants, Fuel suppliers, Leasing Companies, GDSs and IT solutions providers, Ground Handling services providers, payment gateways and others, with the participation of international and regional organizations and air transport experts.

The AGM received the Annual report of AACO presented by AACO Secretary General, Mr. Abdul Wahab Teffaha. It also received his report on industry issues. IATA Director General, Mr. Giovanni Bisignani addressed the AGM in a keynote address. ACAC Director General, Mr. Mohammed Al-Alj, also addressed the AGM.

The AACO AGM elected a new Executive Committee which in turn elected Eng. Atef Abdelhamid, Chairman EgyptAir Holding Company as its chairman for a period of 3 years. AACO AGM thanked Mr. Mohamad El-Hout, Chairman and Director General of Middle East Airlines, the former chairman of the Executive Committee for his constructive efforts during his tenure since 2004.

AACO AGM decided on the resolutions presented by AACO Executive committee mainly related to security and environmental issues, in addition to other strategic and administrative issues related to AACO work.

On the security level, with the mounting security concerns and some adverse effects on passenger traffic flow, and amid security measures imposed unilaterally which sometimes negate the concept of facilitation, and while emphasizing the commitment to aviation security measures, AACO 40th AGM decided on the following:

First, To emphasize the significance of coordinating all aviation security measures on a global level and apply internationally accepted standards and procedures while calling upon governments to entrust ICAO to play its fundamental and necessary role in that regard.

Second, to invite all Arab Governments to apply biometric measures while requesting from the appropriate Arab Civil Aviation Authorities to implement the resolution of Jeddah Conference on Aviation Security held earlier this year during the month of March.

As on the environmental level, and since the environmental concern is building up in the light of the Global Warming and the increase in the Greenhouse gases. This growing concern has pushed the world nations to investigate various measures to reduce the emission of the Greenhouse gases that many analysts see as a main reason behind the Global Warming.

Whilst the Air Transport Industry is the main driver for the Economic growth and the development of the livelihood of people, its contribution to the CO2 emissions does not exceed, to date, 2%,

Whilst the Air Transport Industry made a major step in limiting CO2 emissions from engines in levels that no other industry was able to achieve. And since the environment topic is truly a global issue, there is no point in having individual measures even if they were of a noble nature,

And whilst the Arab Airlines are leaders in renewing their fleet, leading to an average age of the Arab fleet lower than any other world region, the 40th AACO AGM resolves that:

First, to support IATA's and ACAC's efforts in confirming legislative measures related to the civil aviation dimension of the environment within the frame work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Second, to call upon States to support the stance against any individual measures in order to avoid economical imbalance that the Global Air Transport Industry ensures without leading to any additional environmental benefit.

Third, to invite ACAC and ICAO to take measures to encourage those airlines that are using the latest technologies with reduced effect on the environment.

Fourth, Assign AACO Secretariat General to organize workshops to raise awareness amongst the member airlines, also to organize training programs to prepare experts in auditing airlines environmental performance and inviting the world airlines through IATA to take similar steps.

One of the highlights of the AGM was the announcement of the official accession of Etihad Airways and Syrian Arab Airlines to the network cooperation project "Arabesk", which was launched in 2006 under AACO umbrella. With the joining of Etihad Airways and Syrian Arab Airlines, the group now gathers nine AACO member airlines namely; Egypt Air, Gulf Air, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Middle East Airlines, Tunis Air, Yemen Airways, Etihad Airways and Syrian Arab Airlines.

AACO AGM has welcomed Air Cairo as an associate member. AACO member airlines now amount to 24 member airlines that have their home-base in countries members in the Arab League.

There was also a debate session during the AGM, moderated by Mr. Michael Bell, Managing Director of SpencerStuart, and which gathered Mr. Antonis Simigdalas/ President of ERA, Mr. Emre Serpen/ Senior Vice President - SH&E, Mr. Brian Pearce, Chief Economist of IATA, Mr. Tom Ballantyne/ Chief Correspondent of "Orient Aviation" magazine and Dr. Temel Kotil/ President & CEO of Turkish Airlines. The debate session covered topics related to privatization, liberalization, low-cost long-haul business model and the environmental challenges.

At the end of the AGM, AACO AGM elected Mr. Nabil Chettaoui, Chairman and President of Tunis Air, as AACO's President for the year 2008, noting that AACO 41st AGM will be held in Tunis.