Rabat - The 45th Air Transport Committee meeting was held in Rabat, on 7 and 8 April 2021, via video communication technology, in the presence of representatives of member states of the organization and participants from countries and international organizations as observers.

Engineer Abdenbi Manar, Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization, opened the session’s work, where his Excellency welcomed the representatives of the countries participating in the committee’s work. His Excellency focused in his opening speech on the importance of the committee’s role, especially within the actual circumstances the world is witnessing through and their negative impact on the aviation sector because of the Corona pandemic, which requires more effort from the Arab countries and the world at large. The speech of the Director General included the efforts of the organization in cooperation with other international and regional organizations as well as other blocs for the restart and recovery of the air transport activity to its previous levels.

At the end of his speech, His Excellency wished the committee success in its work to achieve the goals of the air transport industry in the Arab countries. In his turn, the Chairman of the Committee, Engineer Mazen Bazhir, welcomed the members of the Committee, as well as participants from other countries and organizations as observers, wishing success to all. In his turn, Mr. Khaled Mohamed Antar, the air transport expert in the organization, welcomed all the participants to the meeting, members of the committee and observers from other countries and organizations, wishing them success in their works.

The committee discussed many important topics according to the agenda, the most important of which are:

•  Urging countries to follow  the recommendations of the Civil Aviation Recovery Team CART issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization and its amendments.
• Urging member states to continue providing the necessary support to the civil aviation industry, taking into consideration what was stated in the ICAO document under the title "Guidelines on Economic and Financial Measures to Mitigate the Impact of the Coronavirus Epidemic on the Civil Aviation Sector".
• Circulating a proposed memorandum of understanding to member states to study and express their opinion on  the seventh freedom of air cargo liberalization between Arab countries, similar to what was done between Latin American countries to facilitate trade movement between Arab countries and help transport medical aid and vaccines during the Corona pandemic.
• Good preparation for the high-level conference that will be held by ICAO during the month of October 2021 on the Corona pandemic by presenting a unified Arab position during the conference.
• pursuing the procedures for creating the organization’s database.

Representatives of the member states from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Sudan, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Kuwait, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Morocco participated in the work of the Committee.

Representatives of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Tunisia and the Republic of Yemen, as well as the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Arab Air Transport Association and the International Air Transport Association also participated as observers.