The 55th Conference of the Directors General of Civil Aviation of the Asia and Pacific Region (DGCA-APAC Conference) was held in Denarau Island, Nadi, Fiji from 22 – 26 October 2018, graciously hosted by the Government of Fiji and organized by the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji. The Conference was attended by 237 participants from 41 States and nine international organizations. The Conference theme topic was: ‘Collaboration and Harmonisation for Safe, Secure and Sustainable Aviation in the Asia Pacific Region’. The Conference was presented with 57 discussion papers, 60 information papers and generated 47 action items.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Secretary General of ICAO, Dr. Fang Liu stressed the key importance of international travel to and trade connections with the Asia Pacific States. Acknowledging the wide diversity in the Region in terms of economic capacity and development, including with respect to civil aviation infrastructure and regulatory oversight, the Secretary General highlighted the importance of increased regional cooperation through strengthened regional safety oversight mechanisms and inter-governmental institutions.
Some activities included:
- Panel discussion on the topic: ‘How should CAAs respond to rapidly escalating technology innovations in the aviation sector?’
- Breakout sessions: Deliberations and Action Items on three key commitments arising from the Beijing Declaration which was concluded at the 1st APAC Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference in January/February 2018, namely, certification of all aerodromes used for international operations by 2020, implementation of ATFM/CDM for high-density airports by 2022 and the effective implementation of the State Safety Programme (SSP) by 2025.
- Concurrent three-day Workshop on ‘Asia/Pacific AIS to AIM Transition’ and an executive session for DGCAs on ‘AIM for Executives’.