Infrastructure and investment key to continued sustainability of Latin American civil aviation

ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu stressed to an audience of Latin American Directors General of Civil Aviation that “the strong traffic growth forecast for Latin America clearly underscores the pressing need for infrastructure development and modernisation, and to ensure that aviation development remains a priority in national development plans.”

President Aliu further highlighted the need for Latin American States to take pragmatic measures to build transparent, stable and predictable investment climates to support aviation development, for example by engaging multiple stakeholders as global aviation partners.

His remarks were delivered to the 22nd Assembly of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC), which is taking place through Wednesday this week in Ibague, Colombia.

Besides his points on the Region’s pressing infrastructure and development concerns, and updates to the Latin American DGCAs on the results and achievements which emerged from ICAO’s recently-concluded 39th Assembly, President Aliu also noted that current collaborative priorities for Latin American States emphasised the continued importance and reliable funding assurances for its Regional Safety Oversight Organisations (RSOOs).

He further praised the recent establishment and accomplishments of the Accident Investigation Regional Cooperation Mechanism (ARCM) of South America, and looked forward to it driving benefits and cooperation among the 13 Latin American States now participating under its framework.

Looking forward, President Aliu remarked on how there is still room for improvement in the level of coordination being undertaken by LACAC and ICAO, and encouraged those present to look to the SRVSOP model (Sistema Regional de Cooperación para la Vigilancia de la Seguridad Operacional) to help determine new efficiencies in how ICAO and LACAC jointly pursue their priorities for international civil aviation.

“Together we have taken great strides and made significant improvements to Latin American civil aviation, to the benefit of all of your societies and economies,” he concluded. “Much of this work is now being undertaken under the auspices of ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative, and especially through the tremendous efforts of our Mexico City and Lima Regional Offices, but we also greatly appreciate the renewed commitments and actions on behalf of each and every one of your States.”