Oman Air annouced the successful conclusion of the annual Arabian Air Carrier Organization’s (AACO) Emergency Response Planning (EPR) meeting in Muscat on May 15 and 16.  

Oman Air co-hosted the annual meeting with the AACO, which is dedicated to discussing and preparing responses for any potential emergencies concerning Arabian airlines.

The first day of the meeting was dedicated to discussion between the various ERP managers of each of the member airlines. Some of the topics discussed included an update from the AACO on issues of interest and advocacy with International Air Transport Association (Iata). The members also reviewed the Emergency Response Manual and finalised the training plan. Another important point of discussion was the preparation and measures involving ERP in relation to the UK and US in-flight ban on large electronics from various Middle Eastern countries.

The second day saw a workshop conducted in Muscat International Airport by representatives from Oman Air, Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA), Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC), Menzies Aviation and Airport Managers of AACO Airlines.  Captain Waheed Al Subhi, senior manager for Safety and ERP presented in detail how Oman Air supports other airlines using Muscat International Airport.

The second half of the session saw a presentation from Robert A. Jensen, CEO of Kenyon International Emergency Services who spoke in relation to recent aircraft accidents and the responses and lessons learnt from both the airlines’ and Kenyon’s perspective. This important session helped members to understand the challenges ahead as well as the necessary responses involved in dealing with aviation emergencies. Overall the two days proved to be hugely beneficial for all of the AACO’s members and greatly enhanced the organization’s capabilities in effective incident management.

The airline was also invited to present a session on Airlines Perspective for Emergency Response and Humanitarian Assistance at the seventh Annual Business Continuity and Emergency Response ME Forum on May 17 in Muscat. The session was organised by Captain Waheed Al Subhi who presented to almost 70 key professionals from various industries and proved to be a very useful tool in building Oman Air’s national emergency response capacity. - TradeArabia News Service