Global Aviation Laws Need to be Revisited: Mansouri

ABU DHABI - The existing international regulatory framework for aviation needs to be improved to accommodate the transformation the industry has gone through in recent years, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, or GCAA, said on Wednesday.

By T. Ramavarman

Published: Fri 17 Apr 2009, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sat 12 Sep 2020, 11:39 PM

Al Mansuri, after inaugurating the International Air Transport, Air Space Law and Regulation Conference in Abu Dhabi, said introduction of high tech and mega wide body aircraft, next generation air traffic management systems, aviation insurance and risk management practices are some of the changes that require to be covered by a more robust legal framework.
"The industry is witnessing sweeping changes. These changes make it necessary to have many of the current legal instruments revisited and made more attuned to the challenges of today in civil aviation," he said.
He said unlike in the past when almost all aviation facilities were owned and operated by regulators, most airports are now run as privatized independent entities.
"Another challenge lies in the availability of human capital in aviation law. There is already a shortage in the skilled position in aviation. This shortage also applies to the human resources in international public and private air laws, administrative, antitrust and civil laws," he said.
He said the UAE was continuing to invest in the aviation infrastructure despite the challenges being faced by the aviation sector globally. New airports are being built, existing airports upgraded and expanded, new airlines being launched and existing fleet further strengthened.
Efforts were being made to get all the countries in the region to approve the 'Open Sky Policy' which has been approved by the UAE long ago.
So far only 11 countries have signed the open sky policy and only five including the UAE had ratified it.
"We hope the all the countries in the region will sign it before 2015," he said.
ramavarman@khaleejtimes.com