CARC signs five air services agreements

AMMAN — The Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) signed five air services agreements on Sunday during the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) conference for air services negotiations, known as "ICAN 2023", held in Riyadh.

The agreements allow airlines to operate any number of scheduled passenger and cargo flights without capacity restrictions.

The agreements also involve expanding air transport rights between two countries, eliminating flight number restrictions on codeshare arrangements, amending air services agreements to include safety and aviation security, updating tariffs with another country, and discussing opening airspace with countries still following restrictive aviation policies. 

The agreements align with the national strategy for liberalising air transport, promoting economic, tourist, investment, and commercial activities, and enhancing flexibility for operators and passengers in distant countries.

The 14 meetings during the ICAO conference engaged with delegations from Austria, Chad, Ivory Coast, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Turkey, the UAE, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the USA, Costa Rica, Bangladesh, Mauritania and Thailand.

The meetings aim to provide economic and service flexibility for travellers and shippers in distant countries, considering economic viability for direct operations and indirect operations in case of limited commercial activity or high operational costs.

The conference had the physical presence of 79 countries and remote participation from eight countries, facilitating negotiations on air services agreements and discussions on aviation developments for civil aviation authorities worldwide.

The conference also launched the first edition of the Arab Aviation Forum, where Jordan presented insights on the current state and development prospects of aviation in the Arab world. Additionally, the Civil Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation for the Middle East and North Africa was announced during the conference, with its permanent headquarters in Riyadh and membership from eight Arab countries.