SAUDIA hosted the 94th Executive Committee meeting of the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization (AACO) in Jeddah. The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of SAUDIA Group and Chairman of AACO’s Executive Committee, in the presence of Mr. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, AACO Secretary General, along with Chairpersons and CEOs from the Committee member Arab airlines. The Executive Committee oversees AACO’s overall work, with a focus on collaborative projects among its members. The Committee’s meeting sets the path for the 56th Annual General Meeting, which will be hosted in Riyadh between October 30 and November 1, 2023. The meeting discussed the current state of the industry, including the recovery of the aviation sector and the increasing travel demand following the COVID-19 crisis. It also highlighted the world’s latest geopolitical challenges and their impacts, while delving into significant issues related to the environment and aviation. The meeting focused on the importance of digital transformation and developing innovative solutions that enable the airlines to improve their services and offer better experiences to their customers. Additionally, the Committee reviewed the latest developments of the current joint projects between AACO members, and some administrative and financial affairs for the organization. His Excellency Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of SAUDIA Group and Chairman of AACO’s Executive Committee said: “AACO is diligently working to empower Arab airline companies, advocate for their common interests, and facilitate their collaboration to improve their operational efficiency and service quality. AACO also ensures ongoing coordination with related regulatory authorities to support its member airlines and preserve their interests, along with launching joint projects to improve efficiencies and reduce costs for its members, in line with applicable laws. “I …
Read More »Royal Jordanian hosts Arab Air Carriers’ 82nd Executive Committee meeting
The Executive Committee of the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization (AACO) held its 82nd meeting in Amman, which was hosted by Royal Jordanian (RJ) Airline. The meeting, held at InterContinental Hotel, was headed by Saleh Bin Nasser Al Jasser, Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines and Chairman of AACO Executive Committee. The attendees included RJ President & CEO Stefan Pichler, AACO’s Secretary General Abdul Wahab Teffaha and the CEOs of eight Arab airlines that are members of the Executive Committee. The participants held discussion on tackling several strategic issues and development of some joint projects among AACO members. Besides, the committee discussed internal issues regarding preparation of AACO’s 51st Annual General Meeting to be held between November 5 and 7, 2018. Pichler said RJ is pleased to host the chief executives of the Arab Carriers, and he underlined the significance of these meetings that gather the Arab airlines under one umbrella to find the best solutions to the problems that the aviation industry faces in the region. Royal Jordanian has been an AACO member since 1965. Teffaha said that one of the tasks of the Executive Committee is to supervise the work of the organisation and discuss the main issues that concern the Arab Carriers in various fields, which include joint projects among members being managed by AACO, aero-political matters in the world and the region and AACO’s priorities in the upcoming days. AACO is made up of 33 Arab airlines that operate over 1,400 aircraft with an average age of 7 years, half the age of other global fleets.
Read More »15 MENA airlines sign agreement with Amadeus
A total of 15 airlines from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) have entered into a 10-year framework agreement with Amadeus for distribution services, negotiated and led by the Arab Air Carriers Association (AACO). The airlines participating in the framework agreement to date carried 110 million passengers in 2016, meaning that these airlines will serve over 1 billion passengers during the 10-year duration of the agreement. For the participating AACO airlines, the partnership will drive economies of scale, technological efficiencies and support the airlines’ vision for distribution in the future. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General, AACO commented, “This long-term agreement represents a landmark for a number of AACO members with a technology partner dedicated to supporting new business strategies.” Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President, Airlines, Amadeus, said, “We are proud to further deepen our partnership with AACO and its member airlines. Amadeus’ focus on innovation and technology, combined with a partnership approach were in close alignment with the requirements identified by the members of AACO’s taskforce for future distribution strategies.”
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