Top Aviation Officials from ICAO, EUR/NAT member States and International Organizations gathered together on the 7th of July 2016 to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the European and North Atlantic Office and testify its leadership role in the Region and pioneering achievements at a global level.
Directors General of Civil Aviation welcomed ICAO’s proposal to meet regularly to ensure that technical outcomes were increasingly aligned with strategic inputs decided at a State level.
Paris, 7 July 2016 – Top officials from the International Civil Aviation Organization and Civil Aviation Authorities from the European and North Atlantic Regions of ICAO as well as from primary aviation International Organizations gathered together to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the ICAO European and North Atlantic Office.
The ceremony was attended by the President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, and the Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu, whose presence highlighted the importance of the outcomes and the proposals put forward during the meeting.
From left to right : Dr. Fang Liu, Dr.
Olumuyiwa
Benard Aliu, Mr. Patrick Gandil, Mr. Luis Fonseca de Almeida
Many speakers and participants highlighted the outstanding contributions from the ICAO Paris Office to the enhancement of Safety, Security and Efficiency, even at the global level. “I am grateful for the Paris Office significant effort under Mr. Almeida’s leadership, to increase its service commitment bringing greater value to the many States it is accredited to, and especially to those who particularly depend upon ICAO,” said the President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, during the opening ceremony held in Paris at the Regional Office’s premises.
“I praise the pioneering role taken by the European and North Atlantic Office so far in proposing solutions even at a global level and I hope they will continue to do so in the future” said the Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu, at the ceremony.
During the ceremony, which was chaired by Mr. Patrick Gandil, Director General of Civil Aviation of France, ICAO proposed a new working method, allowing the Directors General of Civil Aviation from the EUR/NAT Regions to meet regularly to verify whether the strategic institutional inputs given at a State level were being adequately reflected in the technical provisions. This new working method was welcomed by the audience.
“In our view, this will be a sort of regional clearing house where the Directors General of Civil Aviation of 56 States can meet regularly to acknowledge whether the strategic inputs given by their States have been adequately responded to and acted upon by the technical and operational working groups and if so, commit to their implementation,” said Luis Fonseca de Almeida, Regional Director of the European and North Atlantic Office in his opening speech.
At the proceedings of the morning session’s celebration, which was reserved for the Directors General and top officials from the most prominent international organizations, the Chairpersons of the four (4) major ICAO EUR/NAT working groups highlighted some of the greatest achievements over the last 70 years, accomplished thanks to the continuous support from the ICAO Paris Office
Some of the Achievements (pdf)
The main regional technical groups being coordinated by the ICAO EUR/NAT Secretariat are:
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North Atlantic Systems Planning group (NAT SPG), Chairman Mr. Ásgeir Pálsson,
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European Air Navigation Planning Group (EANPG), Chairman Mr. Phil Roberts,
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Regional Aviation Safety Group EUR (RASG-EUR), Chairman Mr. Gerold Reichle,
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EUR/NAT Aviation Security Group (ENAVSECG), Co-Chairs of the ENAVSECG: Ms. Arja Pulliainen, Mr. Vladimir Chertok, Mr. Beken Seidakhmetov
The ceremony involved, inter alia, the participation of the European Commission/European Union, the United States, the Russian Federation, Canada and the Interstate Aviation Committee whose representatives highlighted the high professionalism, pioneering contributions and support received from the ICAO EUR/NAT staff over the years. Both ICAO top officials and the other speakers present at the ceremony expressed their gratitude to France for hosting the ICAO Regional Office over the last 70 years and enabling this important and significant celebration.
A cocktail and gala dinner concluded this distinguished celebration, hosted by the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), at the Air and Space Museum - Le Bourget and included as well representatives from Air Navigation Services Providers (ANSPs), staff members from the French civil aviation administration and ICAO EUR/NAT Office staff members.
