A recent courtesy meeting with the President of Haiti, Mr. Jovenel Moïse (centre) provided ICAO’s North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACC) Regional Director Mr. Melvin Cintron (centre-right) with an excellent opportunity to deliver, on behalf of the President of the Council and the Secretary General, ICAO’s message of partnership and commitment to Haiti. It was attended by Haiti’s Minister of Transportation, Mr. Fritz Caillot (centre-left), its Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Olivier Jean (right), and Presidential Advisor Mr. Gerd Pasquet.
Mr. Cintron highlighted the need for Haiti’s first aviation law to be approved as the crucial foundation upon which the Haitian air transport system could be built. Haiti’s new leadership clearly illustrated its understanding of the role of aviation as a pillar for the sustainable economic development and growth of Haiti, with the President affirming his commitment to ensuring that Haiti’s air transport system is transformed and recognized globally as a system that is safe, secured, efficient and compliant with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
This new leadership and political will are providing a much welcomed results-based vision for the future of Haiti’s transport system.
The meeting with Haiti’s leadership came after a very successful Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) meeting which took place in Port au Prince. CASSOS and the Corporación Centroamericana de Servicios de Navegación Aérea (COCESNA) have supported the NACC Regional Office by providing a specialist to the No Country Left Behind (NCLB) assistance team of the Regional Office.
Mr. Cintron also met with the Ambassador of France to Haiti, H.E. Elisabeth Beton Delègue, in order to highlight and recognize France’s leadership role in the development of Haiti’s air transport system, by way of the contributions and collaboration of its Direction des Services de la navigation aérienne with ICAO and Haiti’s Office National de l'Aviation Civile.
