The Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, during its 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Qatar.
The 54th AGM also called upon governments to follow the guidelines of air travel and biosafety that were agreed by governments through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and their joint work which culminated in the publishing of the ICAO’s Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce’s Recovery Report and Take-off Guidance.
The AGM also commended and welcomed the decision of the Arab League’s Council of Economic and Social Affairs, which adopted general principles for air travel biosafety measures and the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates based on global guidelines by ICAO and the WHO. The meeting called upon governments to implement those principles in the national measures and directed AACO to support the work of the Arab League jointly with the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, the Arab Tourism Organization, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Further, the AGM stressed the importance of technology to create touchless processes in all the travel activities and supported the initiatives taken by a number of entities to develop and deploy applications that would facilitate touchless air travel, particularly the IATA Travel Pass and other applications which can be used by both governments and stakeholders.
Mr. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary-General of AACO, in his report addressed four axes of high focus for the global and Arab air transport industry. First, the implications of COVID-19 on the economy and air transport, and how governments approached air travel following the outbreak of the virus. Second, the principles that governments and stakeholders need to follow to support the air transport sector during the pandemic and help it re-emerge as the strongest supporter of economic growth.
Third, AACO member airlines’ commitment to contribute to fully mitigating air transport’s emissions, and the role of all aviation stakeholders in reaching that target. Fourth, the urgency of accelerating the road to a comprehensive digital transformation for air travel processes.
Further, the Secretary-General emphasized that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires the following stakeholders to do their part in achieving the 2050 goal, governments, manufacturers and technology partners, and fuel and sustainable fuel suppliers. He also underlined the importance of adopting technology and embracing digital transformation.
