For immediate release
Dominican Republic’s leadership on sustainable aviation development contributes to global momentum
Montréal and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 15 January 2018 – At a recent bilateral meeting with its Chancellor, Mr. Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado, the President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, encouraged the Dominican Republic to pursue its strategic and exemplary focus on aviation as a lever for national socio-economic growth, and to enhance its contributions to global momentum on sustainable aviation development.
The meeting took place during Dr. Aliu’s mission to the Dominican Republic last week and was attended by the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to ICAO, Ambassador Carlos A. Veras, and ICAO’s Regional Director for the North American, Central American and Caribbean Region, Mr. Melvin Cintron.
In his meeting with Mr. Vargas Maldonado, Dr. Aliu underscored that these achievements were made possible by the support given by highest levels of the Dominican government to the efforts undertaken by the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) and its Director General, Dr. Alejandro Herrera Rodriguez.
Dr. Aliu further highlighted another aspect of the Dominican Republic’s model approach to aviation in a meeting with the Vice-President of the Senate of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Dionis Sánchez, and members of the National Congress, where he highlighted the importance of legislative bodies to air transport systems in terms of the provision of the legal mechanisms enabling sustainable air connectivity. These points were also reiterated in meetings with Mr. Herrera Rodriguez and with the President of the Civil Aviation Board, Mr. Luis Ernesto Camilo.
The Dominican Republic has achieved tremendous progress in terms of its compliance with ICAO’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), with audits showing it is now a world leader in this area. It has further committed to supporting its neighbours, notably by acting as a Champion State for ICAO’s No Country Left Behind (NCLB) initiative.
Compliance with ICAO SARPs enables States to access the international civil aviation network and unlock the socio-economic developmental benefits of air services. The NCLB initiative is designed to ensure that all States have an opportunity to achieve this compliance and connectivity.
Dr. Aliu was also able to visit the Dominican Aeronautical Complex, where he met all the senior directors, the Area Control Centre and the Superior Academy of Aeronautical Sciences (ASCA). This included a visit to a solar farm that provides approximately 50% of the energy for these facilities, illustrating and symbolizing the Dominican Republic’s commitment to the sustainable development of its aviation sector.
- William Raillant-Clark Communications Officer
The President of the ICAO Council, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, with the Chancellor of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado at a bilateral meeting that took place in Santo Domingo on 9 January 2018.
