Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer has said that air traffic in South Asia region will surpass that of Europe and North America within the next 20 years.
He made the remarks in his message on the occasion of International Civil Aviation Day.
“If the aviation sector of South Asia region kept expanding at its current pace, the region’s air traffic will exceed that of Europe and North America by 2035,” he said, adding that “this would mean that aviation sector would contribute 215 percent of the region’s GDP.”
Referring to the progress achieved by the country’s aviation sector, the Minister said the sector has great potential to reach new heights. In his message, he also highlighted the Government’s efforts to further develop human resource, infrastructure and technological capabilities of the aviation sector. The Government is working to acquire new equipment and machineries, build new infrastructure and provide training and higher education opportunities for those working in the aviation sector, he said.
International Civil Aviation Day was established in 1994 as part of ICAO’s 50th anniversary activities. In 1996, pursuant to an ICAO initiative and with the assistance of the Canadian Government, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized December 7 as International Civil Aviation Day in the UN system. 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 ICAO in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.
As the UN and world nations have now adopted Agenda 2030, and embarked on a new era in global sustainable development, the importance of aviation as an engine of global connectivity has never been more relevant to the Chicago Convention’s objectives to look to international flight as a fundamental enabler of global peace and prosperity. This year’s theme for the day is “Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind”.