MONTRÉAL, 26 October 2015 – The eighth ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2015) wound up on a record note in Antalya, Turkey last Friday, with 800 participants representing 95 States and territories and seven international organizations taking full advantage of the event’s unique and cost-effective multi-negotiation facility to expand air transport liberalization and market access.
During the five-day event, a total of 588 negotiation sessions were conducted, leading to the signing and initialling of more than 450 air service agreements and other related arrangements.
In his opening remarks, ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu noted that “the significant level of participation at this year’s ICAN clearly demonstrates the appreciation of ICAO Member States for the obvious value which these events have delivered to air services negotiators since 2008. It also confirms the collective and ongoing resolve of governments and industry to continue to work together towards the sustainable economic development of air transport.”
President Aliu opened ICAN2015 together with senior Turkish government officials, including Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Yildirim Ak; Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport, Maritime, Affairs and Communications, Dr. Ozkan Poyraz; and Turkey’s Director General of Civil Aviation, Mr. Bilal Eksi. Other dignitaries present at the opening include representatives of States to ICAO and its Council, senior executives from international organizations such as the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI), and several CEOs of airline and airport operators.
Since its inception in 2008, seven successive ICANs have been held in different regions of the world, contributing to liberalization of international air transport and enhancing air connectivity for the benefit of the industry and travelling public. It has also become an important interactive platform for promoting understanding and cooperation amongst government policy makers and regulators, as well as industry players and other aviation stakeholders.
Participants to ICAN2015 also recognized World Statistics Day on 20 October, while commending ICAO for the ICAN facility and the continuous improvements it has seen.
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