ICAO Aerodrome Safety & Planning Implementation Group meets in Muscat

The sixth Aerodrome Safety & Planning Implementation Group (ASPIG/6) met in Muscat, Oman from 27 to 29 May 2024. The meeting addressed various agenda items focused on enhancing aerodrome safety and efficiency in the Middle East region. Key discussions included the implementation of aerodrome certification, runway safety teams, GRF methodology, and ACR-PCR deployment.

Draft conclusions were adopted, urging states to provide progress updates to the ICAO MID Office using newly developed templates. The meeting also emphasised the importance of wildlife strike reporting and ground operations safety, encouraging collaboration among stakeholders to foster a positive safety culture and improve operational standards.

The subject of safety culture was addressed in WP/16 presented by ACI Asia Pacific & Middle East.

Mr. Adeeb Mobaraki, Manager-Environment, represented ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East. The meeting noted with appreciation the best practices and indicators of a positive safety culture at the aviation workplace presented by ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East. These examples aim to ensure a common understanding of safety culture across industry sectors and states, encourage discussions and facilitate learning between industry and states, help understand the broader context of safety culture, and encourage senior leadership of aviation stakeholders to demonstrate commitment toward an evolving safety culture.

The meeting encouraged states and industry to share best practices and indicators of a positive safety culture and discuss its assessment and promotion within the ASPIG framework.

Meanwhile, Ms. Leena Ahmed Al-Kooheji, Chief, Airport & Air Navigation Audit, Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs was elected as Chairperson of ASPIG, while Mr. Khalid Al-Yousufi from Oman has been elected as the Vice Chair.