Seychelles observes international civil aviation day |09 December 2017

The national civil aviation authority joined the rest of the world on Thursday to celebrate the International Civil Aviation Day marked every year in December 7.

This was through a short ceremony at the Seychelles International Airport bus staging area hosted by the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA).

According to the United Nations (UN), the purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) in helping states to cooperate and realise a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.

The theme chosen for this year is ‘Working together to ensure no country is left behind’.

The acting chief executive (CEO) of SCAA Wilfred Fock Tave said this day is very significant in the SCAA annual calendar as it reminds them of their obligations as a member state of the ICAO.

“It also reminds us that upon ratifying the Chicago convention forty years ago, Seychelles made a commitment to the rest of the world that it will deliver the highest standards of safety, security and efficiency in its aviation business. In addition, being conscious of our carbon footprint we have lately adopted through our eco-leap programme,” he said.

Commenting on this year’s theme he said SCAA should keep abreast of other member states to effectively implement ICAO’s standards and policies, which together support the enhanced safety, efficiency, security, economic development and environmental protection of the international aviation system.

“The open sky policy we adopted 10 years ago has enabled more airlines to converge to our islands, bringing year after year an increase of visitors to our shores as well as providing connectivity to a lot more destinations.

Mr Fock Tave pointed out that this year SCAA welcomed Austrian airlines and next year they expect to see the return of Air France and British Airways, and at the moment the SCAA chief executive Gilbert Faure is negotiating more air services agreements and modernising existing ones at the ICAO civil aviation negotiation conference being held in Colombo.

The chairman of the airlines operators committee Franky Hetimier also addressed those present who included airline representatives and other SCAA partners.

Before the cake cutting ceremony, a representative from the seven respective airlines flying to Seychelles raised their flags.