The Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs (BCAA) has announced the signing of an training services agreement with Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports Company.

Ahmad Al Haddabi, senior vice president of Airports Operations (Adac) and Ahmed Nemat Ali Abdul Rahim, assistant undersecretary for Aviation Services (BCAA) signed the agreement on Saturday at the Bahrain International Air Show.

The deal is one of the first steps in GCAS’s commitment to offering dedicated training services and facilities to the aviation industry across the Middle East region, Al Haddabi stated.

Building on the already close relationships and complementary growth that the Gulf region’s states have adopted, towards taking an increasingly global role in the aviation business, the MoU represents that spirit of co-operation and knowledge-share that will underpin any future success for the region’s aviation industry.

Bahrain has a good history of investing in the aviation industry and its human capital. Within this framework both signatories identified a wide spectrum of synergies for training and aviation studies in the areas of airport operations, safety, security and airport management, he added.

Abdul Rahim pointed out that human resources were a critical element in the significant developments being realised across the aviation sector, in the region.

"This will enable the industry to grow and further serve the growing economies in the Gulf region. Thanks to the wise leadership of the government, we enjoy a close relationship and co-operation between our two countries in all areas, and in relation to civil aviation in particular," he noted.

"The aviation industry in the Middle East and the Gulf Region in particular is growing at an unprecedented rate. GCAS, therefore, will ensure that continuous training and development of specialised human resources are met, so as to provide structured growth for the aviation sector in the region, " Al Haddabi said.

Al Haddabi said, "GCAS recognises that this MoU represents a great opportunity to be working with Bahrain’s civil aviation entities and so further strengthen and commit to serving the growing educational, training, research and development needs of the region’s aviation industry and its related activities."

“By partnering with key international organisations and soon to be offering unique training capabilities at Al Bateen Executive Airport, in Abu Dhabi city, GCAS is confident it has the right model and relevant training curriculum to help shape and develop the next generation of airport, airline and aviation leaders,” he added.

Established to provide the Gulf and Middle East region with a centre of excellence for aviation industry training, GCAS is a fully endorsed institution by the General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE (GCCA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The GCAS has also developed working relationships with world leading aviation training organisations.-TradeArabia News Service