Doha, June 21 (QNA) - A number of global aviation sector officials praised Qatar Airways' hosting of the 78th annual meeting of IATA and the World Air Transport Summit, which have been hosted by Doha over three days.
For his part, Head of PR & International Corporate Communications at Boeing Middle East Ltd. Bader Al Bedair expressed his great pleasure at the return of the world's aviation leaders to meetings after an absence of more than two years due to COVID-19 pandemic.
In an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Bader Al Bedair said that Boeing is proud to be a partner and gold sponsor of annual meeting of IATA in its current edition, pointing to the fact that his presence is vital and strategic as partner in aviation industry, acknowledging that the summit is an opportunity for aviation leaders worldwide to further discuss the latest developments in air transport, and the challenges it encountered during COVID-19 pandemic.
He emphasized that the atmosphere is undoubtedly wonderful, and there is great focus on a wide range of vital topics, especially the issue of sustainability, which has acquired a great deal of substantial discussions in multiple themes, pointing out that Qatar Airways is one of the companies supporting IATA , as the conference primarily succeeded in setting the necessary policies and determining the priorities to ensure a promising future for the sector, as well as the regulatory and financial challenges encountered by global airlines.
He added that Boeing is proud to take sustainability seriously, and in 2020 the company succeeded in forming the first department to focus on the sustainability aspect of the entire company's products, whether in defense or commercial sectors.
He pointed out that by 2030, Boeing will be able to operate the first commercial passenger aircraft using 100 percent sustainable fuel.
He underscored that the outcomes of the General Assembly and the World Air Transport Summit will have a significant positive impact on the future of aviation worldwide in the near term.
He concluded his statements by hailing the substantial role played by the state of Qatar in aviation sector through hosting this global summit by Qatar Airways, adding that the event underscores that the Middle east region is a key foundation for the aviation industry worldwide.
For his part, CEO of Oman Air Eng. Abdul Aziz Al Raisi emphasized that Doha succeeded in hosting a major global event with the presence of most important companies operating in aviation sector, where most prominent developments were discussed, in addition to further tackling the operational challenges that have been facing the aviation sector around the world over more than two years due to COVID-19 fallout.
He said that it is not weird for the state of Qatar to have this great excellence in hosting this event in a time the aviation sector worldwide started to recover, as there is a big optimism for what the next stage will bring. He likewise, expressed his great pleasure as he sees Oman Air joining the Oneworld Alliance, and deemed it as a great accomplishment for Oman Air, indicating that his is delighted to join the worlds premier airline alliance at a time of the increasing demand for travel, and it is undoubtedly one of the most important moments in the history of his company.
In his statement to QNA, Eng. Abdul Aziz Al Raisi pointed out that Oman Air's partnership with Qatar Airways in multiple fields will boost Oman Air's opportunity to be among the best airlines in the world, and joining the Oneworld alliance affords all passengers on its lines a large space to reach about 1200 global destinations.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of Arab Air Carriers Organization Abdul Wahab Teffaha said that the AGM and WATS discussed many operational issues that concern the future of the aviation sector.
He added that there are still repercussions in light of the crisis that surrounded the air transport sector. He anticipated that going back to pre-pandemic levels in the aviation sector were set to 2024, but it is up to governmental measure, return to openness, deal with aviation sector as a key economic contributor and travel freely.
He added that the aviation sector is like any other sector, It has its good days as well as bad days, and has previously been exposed to many crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but now we hope to get out of the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine.
He concluded his statement saying that we can reach zero carbon by 2050 depending on the on technological progress to reduce carbon emissions, use of sustainable fuels, carbon offsets , as well as governments stimulating the production of sustainable fuels, which will help to move forward in this direction, along with improving the infrastructure and airports.
For his part, CEO of Kuwait Airways Maen Mahmoud Razouqi said that the AGM left positive impression in light of the meeting's review of many vital issues related to the aviation sector.
He added that Kuwait Airline revenue during the first quarter of this year exceeded expectations, and it is heading the same way during the second quarter, in addition to the fact that summer season represents the peak in terms of travelling.
He concluded his statement saying that they want to thank Qatar Airways for hosting this meeting and its comeback after a long time. He also added that they hope the efforts to use sustainable fuels and achieve zero emission as planned by senior aviation leader will succeed.
The three-day conference focused on the need for governments to adopt an ambitious long-term goal of decarbonizing aviation, as airlines chart the path for the industry's commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
They also discussed steps that can be taken to support global efforts to reduce the use of single-use plastics and address the challenges faced by the sector to offset carbon and use sustainable jet fuel.
This will be the second time that the global meeting of senior aviation leaders will be held in Qatar, where the first time was in 2014, and the decision to change the venue reflects the ongoing restrictions related to travel procedures to China due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (QNA)