Congratulations, Kuwait’s civil aviation!
Congratulations to Kuwait’s civil aviation directorate for its extraordinary achievement! Last week, Kuwait’s civil aviation management announced an unexpected and positive new surprise related to development in the standards of safety and security of international civil aviation regulations in Kuwait. The latest assessment of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) showed a significant progress of 78.18 percent for Kuwait compared to the modest and embarrassing percentage of 54 percent in the past.
ICAO is a specialized United Nations agency working on the application of standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for international civil aviation and policies aimed at supporting the civil aviation sector, which provides safety, efficiency, security, economic sustainability and environmental responsibility to ensure compliance with global rules. Hence, this report and the achievement of Kuwait gains importance.
This news is important to Kuwait both on official and international levels, as it affects Kuwait’s reputation and its interest to modernize local laws and regulations related to civil aviation in a way that suits the requirements of the era and matches international regulations. The news is certainly joyful and thankful to those behind the quick transformation and development, but the question is - what does this mean to us as ordinary travelers?
For most people, the airport is still the same modest facility. Departure and arrival passengers are still mingling like at a train station, despite the existence of an auxiliary company to inspect bags and passengers, which is better than it was in the past. So what’s new? These were the most prominent public observations.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation was not widely or actively mentioned in the past when talking about development and modernization of security and safety of aviation laws in Kuwait, until a year ago. This was when Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah took the lead and clearly changed this department radically for the best. Leading civil aviation away from the noise and inconvenience of the National Assembly gave him the ability to lead seriously and quietly. A qualified Kuwaiti team acts as his right hand, on which he trusts and depends to achieve the success needed for Kuwait. The success of this small department is a great achievement. The least reward is to grant them the permission to be an independent authority.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a press release that ICAO completed a field visit by a specialized technical team to assess safety standards at Kuwait International Airport by announcing positive results reflecting the high efficiency of performance in various operational sectors. The team visit included a comprehensive inspection of the relevant administrations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which included aviation safety, air navigation, airport operations and engineering. The statement noted that ICAO commended the changes made by various departments in record time in order to meet key requirements in implementing operational safety standards at Kuwait International Airport.
The report was a joyous one to the airport administration. The airport is often criticized by the public, so news like this is a reason for them to remind everyone that it also has a positive role. The airport leadership is trying to develop, despite the modest prospects. For example, new baggage carousals will open on Jan 20 and loading of bags on airplanes will be done electronically.
The airport is a border point between countries and therefore has special importance in terms of safety and security. Modernizing the infrastructure of air transport and aviation regulations is indisputable. Kuwait aviation directorate - way to go!