Qatari representatives held several meetings and signed agreements on the sidelines of the aviation conference in Doha.
Qatar signed an administrative services agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization on Monday, in a move that aims to strengthen 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, penned the agreement on the sidelines of the ICAO Facilitation Conference currently happening in Doha.
Qatar’s Minister of Transport, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani was present on the occasion after inaugurating the conference earlier in the day. ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano also observed the ceremony.
The partnership will see both entities collaborate on developing solutions geared towards efficiency and sustainability.
Opening the conference themed “Facilitating the Future of Air Transport: Collaboration, Efficiency, Inclusivity”, Sciacchitano had 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 said.
The Gulf state’s national flag carrier, Qatar Airways, currently flies to over 170 destinations across five continents with 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 a discussion with the European Civil Aviation Conference to explore a potential collaboration.
The meeting between QCAA’s Al-Hajri and ECAC President Alessio Quaranta focused on advancing air safety, security, and facilitation between the two bodies, according to the Qatar News Agency.
Similarly, Qatar also signed an air services agreement with the Caribbean country of Grenada, which will allow airlines of both countries to operate unlimited and unrestricted traffic rights for both passenger and cargo flights.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell then held a meeting with Qatar’s Minister of Transport, Sheikh Mohammed, following the signing ceremony.
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.
