Dushanbe has hosted the first ever roundtable on problems of development of civil aviation in the Central Asian region.
The meeting that took place on May 13 reportedly brought together top managers of Somon Air (Tajikistan), Air Astana (Kazakhstan), SCAT (Kazakhstan), QAZAQ Air (Kazakhstan), Uzbekistan Airways (Uzbekistan) and Avia Traffic Company (Kyrgyzstan).
Co-hosted by Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier Somon Air and the Tajik Civil Aviation Agency under support of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the event reportedly focused on ways to promote further development of civil aviation in the region.
The meeting participants, in particular, reviewed current advantages of civil aviation in the region, economic prospects for the next few years and regional obstacles in the way of further development of civil aviation in Central Asia.
They also discussed issues related to smarter regulation initiative and application of it in Central Asia’s nations, safety aspects of flights, inclusion of IATA’s operational safety audit (IOSA) in the national regulation, navigation based on operational characteristics, stable supply of jet fuel, analysis of airport charges in the region, etc.
Experts say a modernized and more progressive aviation environment in the region requires a much-needed adoption of the best international standards and practices, factors that will stimulate and encourage investment in new, efficient infrastructure that will, in turn, provide the reasonable and transparent costs – both in the air and on the ground.
Meanwhile, Russian Aviation Insider says that according to the latest IATA forecast, world aviation passenger traffic will double by 2037 and there will be an expected shift of the global economic axis from west to east. Consequently, passenger traffic in Central Asian countries will grow significantly and therefore closer cooperation between all nations in the region is increasingly becoming more crucial.
The competitiveness of aviation in Central Asia is currently affected by the severity of a number of specific aviation-related challenges facing each and every nation and matters, which were scrutinized by the meeting of airlines.
These matters reportedly include:
– Aviation safety cannot be compromised. This is true not only for airlines but also for aviation-related bodies and especially safety oversight authorities, all of which must fully apply the international safety standards including in particular those of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) provisions; the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) technical standards; the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA); and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO).
– An appeal to governments to use best international practices regarding the application of taxation, Customs duties, airport charges and fees, and any other related costs. As an example, airlines already accept the importance of passenger data (API/PNR) processing for security purposes and that such systems should not be funded either by airlines or by their passengers. API/PNR is to be implemented without any fees and charges in 94 countries worldwide.
– For governments to unleash their full economic aviation potential, increased connectivity has become essential. “We are urging the [central Asian] states to adopt the best international standards and practices, invest and develop efficient infrastructure at reasonable and transparent cost both in the air and on the ground,” a statement from the event points out.
– Airlines are looking at increasing their cooperation with governments to work together on national aviation strategies to further promote the aviation industry and overcome the impediments for growth in the region.
The International Air Transport Association, which attended the roundtable meeting as an observer, was formally urged to support the initiative and provide its knowledge and subject-matter expertise on the above mentioned topics.
