Qatar signed an administrative services agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization on Monday in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s position as a key player in the aviation industry.
Acting Director-General of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Mohammed Faleh Al-Hajri, and Secretary General of ICAO, Juan Carlos Salazar, signed the agreement on the sidelines of the ICAO Facilitation Conference currently taking place in Doha.
Qatar’s Minister of Transport, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, was present at the occasion after inaugurating the conference earlier in the day. ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano also attended the ceremony.
The partnership will see both entities collaborating on developing solutions geared towards efficiency and sustainability.
Opening the conference themed “Facilitating the Future of Air Transport: Collaboration, Efficiency, Inclusivity,” Sciacchitano hailed the Gulf state's unwavering commitment to enhancing facilitation for air transport.”
Through capacity building and implementation support, we will strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance operational capabilities, and foster international cooperation to address common challenges,” he stated.
The Gulf state's national flag carrier, Qatar Airways, currently flies to over 170 destinations across five continents, with the first-rate Hamad International Airport as its operating base.
Qatar participated in several other key developments on the opening day of the four-day event, including discussions with the European Civil Aviation Conference to explore potential collaboratiorn.
According to the Qatar News Agency, the goal of the meeting between ECAC President Alessio Quaranta and QCAA's Al-Hajri was to advance air safety, security, and cooperation between the two organisations.Similar to this, Qatar and Grenada, a Caribbean nation, inked an air services agreement that will grant both nations' airlines unrestricted and unlimited traffic rights for both passenger and cargo flights.After the signing ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed, the minister of transport for Qatar, met with Dickon Mitchell, the prime minister of Grenada.
Discussions were also held with the delegates from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Morocco, Brunei and Sierra Leone to enhance Qatar’s aviation ties with those nations.
More than 120 ministers and aviation chiefs from around the globe have landed in Doha for the ICAO FALC 2025 alongside officials and industry experts from 190 countries, according to the Ministry of Transport.
The conference, held under the patronage of Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, will conclude on Thursday with the adoption of the Doha Declaration on Facilitation of International Air Transport.