Menon calls for greater cooperation in aviation among D-8 countries

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon yesterday called for enhanced cooperation among the D-8 member countries for compliance with international, regional and national civil aviation safety standards.
It will assist in the development of a harmonised regulatory framework among the D-8 countries and encourage safe air transportation, Menon said at the inauguration of the 8th meeting of D-8 Working Group on Civil Aviation (WGCA) and Director General at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel.
Established in 1997, the Developing 8 is a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. The countries are: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
Menon said Bangladesh is committed to contributing to the globally harmonised aviation activities. “To uphold the commitment, assurance to safety and security in the air transport our first and foremost priority.”
“D-8 civil aviation cooperation has proved to be very promising,” said Secretary General of D-8 WGCA Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi.
With a population of around 1 billion, which is 15 percent of global population, there is an abundance of technical and qualified human resources and opportunities available in this field among the D-8 community, he said.
To realise the potential, he suggested drafting in a workable action plan.  
The civil aviation authorities of the member states will have to adopt and execute a set of necessary policies and measures, said Mousavi, while citing the need for promulgation and harmonisation of necessary legislation and framing of requisite rules and regulations.
Mahmud Hussain, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh, said the development of aviation personnel to meet the requirement of future needs is one of the most fundamental challenges, which D-8 as a group can work on.
The D-8 members have already found opportunities to work together to improve safety and expedite the movement of passengers and goods at the same time, he said.
Now, a number of joint initiatives are required, he added.
The first meeting of D-8 WGCA was held in 2007 to realise potential of cooperation in air transport among the member states.