[091211.EN.AIR] IATA Sees Bright Prospects For Middle East, Despite Dark Areas

INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA) director general and CEO Tony Tyler is urging Middle East aviation to improve safety standards given that the region's is poised for growth.

The former CEO of Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways praised Mideast carriers for implementing the IATA Operational Safety Audit and taking an active role in the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations.

Mr Tyler said the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region accounts for 27 of the 132 ISAGO registrations. "Along with being mandated by the government of Lebanon, relevant authorities in Kuwait, Jordan, the UAE and Oman have given ISAGO their endorsement," he said. "I encourage others to follow."

The IATA chief was quoted as saying in a report by the UK's Air Cargo World: "The Middle East region currently is experiencing one Western-built jet hull loss accident for every 1.2 million flights, compared to a world average of one for every 2.7 million flights," he said.

"The challenge of raising the region to the world standard is made more complex with growth," said Mr Tyler in a speech at the Arab Air Carriers Organisation annual general meeting.

He also highlighted air traffic control as being an area for improvement, with only 40 per cent of MENA airspace being permanently available to civil aircraft. "The rest of [it] is controlled by the military and under restricted access or off-limits to civilian aircraft," he said. "Cooperation in a coherent regional approach is needed to manage the growth safely and efficiently."

The Middle Eastern and North African aviation sector is said to have invested US$100 billion in infrastructural improvements.

"The story for the MENA region is growth," Mr Tyler said. "In 2004, MENA carriers accounted for less than seven per cent of international traffic. Today, it is over 11 per cent. The double-digit growth trend of Middle East carriers over the last years has fuelled this expansion."

In spite of noting that expansion had slowed in the first 10 months of 2011 - highlighted by a 0.8 per cent discrepancy between supply and demand - he said carriers in this region are poised for a bright future.

Source : HKSG, 07.12.11.