Joint Work

AACO Aeropolitical Watch Group (AWG) gathers aeropolitical experts from AACO member airlines. The mission of this group is to follow up on the various regulatory affairs affecting the Arab airlines, advocate in favor of the joint interests of AACO members, provide awareness through AACO to the members on Aeropolitical affairs, and suggest solutions wherever applicable.

AACO AVSEC Advisory Group gathers the heads of aviation security of AACO member airlines. The mission of the group is to contribute to enhancing members' operational safety through formulating a mechanism to share information related to risk assessments of air routes that members conduct. In addition, the group is a platform to exchange expertise and best practices among members.

Membership in AACO AVSEC Advisory Group is open to all member airlines.

Air Algerie, Air Arabia, Air Cairo, Egyptair, Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai, flynas, Gulf Air, Jordan Aviation, Kuwait Airways, Middle East Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Saudia and Yemen Airways.

AACO, as part of its mission and objectives, has succeeded since the 1990s in providing the platform for member airlines to cooperate individually with global distribution systems in order to distribute their content and expand their sales presence worldwide.

In 2013, AACO Future Distribution Strategies Task Force (FDSTF) was established with the purpose of achieving the following two objectives:


1.    To study and research the latest technological developments related to distribution techniques that meet the consumer needs at all touch points, and provide optimal exposure and reach of member airlines products.
2.    To define a comprehensive vision to deal with the distribution landscape beyond the year 2018.
 
The FDSTF completed its tasks successfully by achieving the above two objectives. Hence, and after concluding the framework between Amadeus and 16 airlines, the FDSTF was closed and transformed into a Steering Board called AACO Amadeus Steering Board (AASB). The AASB includes representatives from the 16 airlines, Amadeus and AACO, and has started following up on the deal as of January 1, 2019. The Board will hold periodic meetings to review the performance of this agreement in order to insure its effectiveness for the member airlines.
 
The previous framework that managed the 10-year relationship between Amadeus and 13-member airlines has expired by end of 2018. That framework allowed those airlines to benefit from the intensive presence of Amadeus in their home markets and in return, the National Marketing Company (NMC) in each home market of the member airlines caters for the market needs while bringing customer-oriented distribution technology to the travel agents.
 
The new framework, in addition to the above benefits, supports the participant airlines’ vision for distribution and reconfirms commitments to the travel agency and will drive economies of scale and technological efficiencies, including enhanced merchandising and retailing capabilities. Moreover, this framework remains open for additional member airlines that wish to join in the future.

Afriqiyah Airways, Air Algerie, Air Cairo, Badr Airlines, EgyptAir, Etihad Airways, Jordan Aviation, Kuwait Airways, Libyan Airlines, Mauritania Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Nile Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia and TunisAir.

AACO MRO Collaboration project gathers ten member airlines. The feasibility of the project was assessed using the services of a consultancy firm which concluded that such collaboration would result in significant benefits in cost saving and resource optimization through nine initiatives: Line maintenance, procurement, inventory sharing/pooling, spare engines and APUs, work exchange/shared shops, GE90 engine shipping, loans and exchanges, training and vendor audits.

• Quantitative benefits: reducing cost through leveraging economies of scale and negotiating better contractual terms. 
• Qualitative benefits: optimizing resources such as budgets (training, vendor audits) and staff productivity, harmonization of standards. 

• Develop, maintain and be the custodian of “AACO Emergency Response Mutual Assistance Agreement”; a multilateral agreement for emergency response support amongst the project carriers.
• Assess, plan, develop and implement a roadmap aiming at enhancing crisis management preparedness in the region.
• Be a platform to exchange information, developments, experience and best practices among members.

The Environmental Policy Group was established in 2008, and gathers Environmental Directors from 27 member airlines.

Objective:

• To follow up on all regulatory, political, and technical developments related to aviation and the environment on both global and regional levels and to advocate the interests of Arab airlines across all regional and international stake-holders. 
• To follow up on environmental developments affecting the Arab airlines, advocate their interests, exchange environmental information, provide environmental awareness, and provide cost effective solutions that would help AACO members in facing the environmental challenges.

ICAO and its member States agreed in 2013  on a road-map to finalize work on the Global Market Based Measure and put in place the structure and design element of the global scheme for the assembly of 2016 to review, discuss and possibly adopt the global deal. And upon the recommendation of AACO Executive Committee, the Environmental Policy Group followed up on the environmental developments related to defining the structure and design element of the global scheme, in addition to following up on ICAO’s work and the outcome of the High Level Meetings which were held in order to come up with an agreeable scheme that galvanized the support of all states.

And after 6 years of intensive work from ICAO and its working groups, member States, stakeholders, and international and regional associations, including the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization (AACO), and during its Assembly which was held in Montreal from 27 September to 7 October 2016, ICAO and its member States finalized an agreement for a Global Offsetting Scheme for International Aviation known as CORSIA.

Modus Operandi: 
On the Regional level: 

• To cooperate with Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) and Civil Aviation Authorities in the Arab world to have a coordinated Arab position which reflects the interests of Arab Airlines and the agreement of Arab States with regards to aviation and the environment.
  
  

On the International level:

• To follow up on ICAO’s work on establishing the necessary mechanisms for implementation of the CORSIA 2020.
• To work with the concerned Arab authorities and to coordinate with IATA and other regional and international entities, and the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) to ensure that the mechanisms will not add further burdens on the Arab airlines.
• To work with all stakeholders to try to develop a methodology that would recognize efficiencies achieved by airlines prior to 2020 known as the Early Movers.
• To follow up on the developments related to the EU-ETS and advocate with the European Commission that the issue of aviation and the environment must be dealt with through the provisions and principles of the ICAO resolution which identified the guiding principles for design and implementation of the global MBM to tackle the environmental impact of air transport.

Afriqiyah Airways, Air Cairo, Air Algerie, Air Arabia, Badr Airlines, EgyptAir, Emirates, Etihad Aviation Group, flynas, Gulf Air, Iraqi Airways, Jordan Aviation, Kuwait Airways, Libyan Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Nile Air, Nouvelair, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Syrian Airlines, Sudan Airways, Tassili Airlines, TunisAir and Yemen Airways.

AACO has established the Fuel Project which comprises the Fuel Steering Board (FSB) and the Aviation Fuel Advisory Group (AFAG). The FSB gathers 26 member airlines. Moreover, a large number of fuel companies work within AFAG to spread awareness and ensure a safe and sustainable aviation fuel industry in the world in general and in the Arab world in particular.

The Fuel Project consists of AACO member airlines in the Fuel Steering Board; and AACO member airlines and fuel companies in the Aviation Fuel Advisory Group.

In line with its objective of promoting and increasing the level of cooperation between member airlines at Outstations, the Ground Handling Steering Board provides the framework that allows member airlines to enhance the services they provide to the customers. Throughout the years, member airlines were able to enhance the level of services at many airports including: Istanbul and 20 other Turkish airports, Rome, Amsterdam, London Heathrow Terminal 4, Kuala Lumpur, Vienna and Addis Ababa.

Moreover, The Ground Handling Steering Board aims at spreading awareness related to new technologies, services and regulations to ensure the sustainability of member airlines’ operations with the highest quality of services given to the consumer. 
 
In addition to that, AACO, through the Ground Handling Steering Board, has concluded a framework agreement with RDC Aviation Limited for an airport charges platform which gives AACO members access to airport charges of 3000+ airports around the world, in addition to a wide number of features.

Afriqiyah Airways, Air Algerie, Air Cairo, EgyptAir, Etihad Airways, Fly Egypt, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Libyan Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Nile Air, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, Saudia, Sudan Airways, Syrian  Airlines, Tunisair and Yemen Airways.

AACO established its regional training center in Amman in 1996 to provide management training for AACO members, the mission statement is "to offer cost effective quality training", and this today still stands true.

AACO Regional Training Center has its branch in Cairo inside EGYPTAIR Training Center hosted by EGYPTAIR.

In 2005 our scope was broadened to include other types of training from the basic training and soft skills, and in 2007 further broadened to include academic educational programs to provide quality training of higher value to educate airline staff on aviation related post graduate programs.

To provide the training needed by AACO member Airlines by focusing on management training, and offering some basic training courses especially those related to international auditing programs as IOSA and ISAGO. Providing the soft skills needed to raise the capability of the airlines employees, and to offer academic programs related to aviation.

One of AACO RTC main focus is to contribute in developing human resources for member Airlines by organizing training programs for preparing and developing trainers in different aviation topics.