MUSCAT: The 65th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Airports International was held on Sunday, March 28 in Muscat, headed by Sheikh Ayman bin Ahmed Al Hosani, CEO of Oman Airports, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the current session, and with the participation of 29 CEOs of regional and international airports.

The meeting adopted the council’s work plan for the next two years, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between airports and international aviation organisations, and discussed environmental and economic sustainability projects and challenges affecting the airports and civil aviation sector.

The CEO of Oman Airports said that the meeting discussed the gradual return of travel traffic after the COVID-19 pandemic, which heralds the restoration of air traffic at global airports with the rise in passenger numbers in the first months of this year, which confirms the return of the stability of the sector and its workers.

For his part, Luis Filipe, Director General of the Airports Council International, said that the meeting discussed setting future plans to meet the challenges facing the aviation sector, especially with regard to working between airports to confront climate change and keenness to open markets and support the transformation of the aviation sector to be environmentally friendly.

At the conclusion of its work, the meeting approved a set of recommendations, represented in the adoption of updates in security, safety and environmental sustainability laws and the adoption of a new centre for artificial intelligence for all airports in the world in order to provide the necessary data and analysis for airports to be more able to plan for future projects at the executive level and the work of a joint virtual training centre under The umbrella of the Airports Council International for the exchange of experiences between workers in the sector.

The meeting recommended the adoption of a unified plan of action in which the procedures are consistent to meet any new health challenges, emphasising the use of modern technology in the airport sector and enabling it in the future as a common coordination tool among the members of the Council.

The meeting called for a comprehensive review of fees and measures that can be taken by airports to ensure their ability to operate as independent entities in their own right, ahead of the ICAO meeting to be held next September.

The Sultanate of Oman, represented by Oman Airports, chairs the current session of the ACI Board of Directors during the period from the beginning of 2022 until the end of 2023.