Broad Industry Agenda for the Middle East
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the air transport industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to focus on key challenges of growth, including safety, cost control, liberalisation and the environment.
Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, made the comments in a keynote address to the region’s leaders at the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Organization in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“The Middle East is an oasis of some good news for this industry. This is the only region that is growing. Over the first eight months of the year passenger demand expanded by 8%, outstripped by a capacity increase of 13%. But growth has not yet translated into profitability. Growth without profit is not sustainable,” said Bisignani.
Bisignani also urged carriers in the region to bring governments on board with the industry’s forward looking approach to the environment at the UNFCCC climate conference in Copenhagen in December. Airlines are committed to improving fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5% annually to 2020, stabilizing emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth and cutting emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. To achieve this, the industry is asking governments at Copenhagen to adopt a global sectoral approach that accounts for aviation’s carbon emissions at a global level (not by state), ensures that aviation is accountable for its CO2 emissions (but only required to pay once) and gives the industry access to global carbon markets to offset emissions until technology can provide the ultimate solution.
“I have taken our united industry’s approach to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He commended our efforts and held aviation up as a role model for other industries. As airlines, we must ensure that all national delegations to Copenhagen arrive with full knowledge of our industry’s program. Our message is simple. Give us a global sectoral approach under ICAO and we will deliver on even tougher targets than those set by our regulators,” said Bisignani.
“We are part of a wonderful industry that connects 2.2 billion people, brings 43 million tonnes of goods to market, supports employment for 32 million people and generates US$3.5 trillion in economic activity. The spectacular growth in MENA reminds us of the power of aviation to drive economic development. We also face some great challenges. The biggest for our long-term future is environment. With our impressive record of delivering results and ambitious future targets I am confident that we are on the right track. In fact, we are racing ahead of governments who must now catch-up,” said Bisignani.
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