The International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) is keen to strike up a conversation about safety with Middle East airlines.
Martin Chalk, a professional airline pilot, is president of the organisation, which has a stated intent is to "be the global voice of professional pilots by providing representation, services and support in order to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide".
IFALPA represents 100,000 pilots globally.
Chalk's main interest in attending the show is the Gulf Aviation Training Event, which will run on 10-11 November.
"Our objective is to start informal contacts that may – once we've learned how each other's set-up works – lead to more formal contact between the safety/technical committees of IFALPA and the safety/technical committees of Middle Eastern airlines," says Chalk. "It's done in full recognition that the culture in the Middle East does not lend itself to our current way of working and our current membership structure."
Chalk notes that the Middle East is an increasingly prominent player in global aviation, but that its contacts with IFALPA on safety matters could be enhanced.
"Airlines, airports, and countries want to influence ICAO's rules to ensure they are practical, safe, and not overly burdensome on the system. We would like to argue the pilots' corner as well. IFALPA amalgamates a broad version of the pilots' views."
Source: Cirium Dashboard
