ICAO and ACI collaborate to enhance safety standards at Aiports

Today, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI), signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to provide a framework to jointly pursue the highest possible levels of safety at airports worldwide.

The Memorandum of Cooperation between the International Civil Aviation Organization and Airports Council International for Enhanced Cooperation to Improve Safety Standards at Airports Worldwide was signed by ICAO Council President, Mr. Roberto Kobeh González and ACI Director General, Ms. Angela Gittens during a ceremony at ICAO Headquarters in Montréal.

It will allow both organizations to join forces to improve aviation safety.

Objectives of the Memorandum of Cooperation

• Supporting the development of the ACI Airport Excellence (APEX) in Safety Programme, designed to help airports worldwide to identify and address safety vulnerabilities;
• Joint technical assistance projects;
• The regular exchange of safety-relevant information and data and by providing mutual access to databases;
• Exchanging experts and providing training; and
• Promoting regional cooperation.

“ICAO and ACI have a long history of cooperation. The Memorandum that we are signing today provides a framework for enhanced cooperation between our two organizations and reflects ICAO’s continuing efforts to take a more action-oriented approach to promoting safety,” said Mr. Roberto Kobeh González, President of the Council of ICAO.

Ms. Angela Gittens, ACI Director General, commented, “Today is a significant day for ACI and ICAO, and for all of us who rely on a safe and secure global air transportation system. The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation signals the official start of a collaboration to grow ACI’s Airport Excellence in Safety Programme (APEX). Through APEX, we help airports around the world identify and remedy safety vulnerabilities by on-site peer reviews, information sharing, training, assistance with implementation of management structures and the technical assistance in applying the Standards and Recommended Practices of Annex 14. This collaboration with ICAO takes global airport safety to the next level. We applaud the leadership that ICAO has demonstrated for continuous improvement in the safety mission.”