Arab aviation CO2 conference concludes

Date: 23/11/2009

Arab region aviation industry leaders met this week to earmark CO2 priorities and commitments in the coming years.

Director of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission Mohammad Al Alji said the Doha conference of aviation leaders was scheduled to outline a unified vision for the area ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Summit.

Mr Al Alji said a billion passengers fly through Arab airspace yearly and the airlines move four billion tonnes of cargo through the region among the airlines.

Participating country delegates adopted a policy that would establish a permanent emissions-monitoring presence involving the Arab Civil Aviation Commission and the Arab Air Carriers Organisation.

Civil Aviation Authority chairman Abdul Aziz said in closing remarks that the summit highlighted the Arab aviation commitment to a market-based policy.

“We are here today seeking knowledge required to give birth to an emissions trading scheme – or an insurance policy to safeguard both our industry as well as our blue skies.”