Pushing Regional Transportation issues at hemispheric meeting

CARICOM’s Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) was among matters presented to a meeting of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Directors of Civil Aviation, held this week in Ottawa, Canada.

CARICOM Secretariat’s Head of the Transportation Unit, Dr. Pauline Yearwood delivered a presentation on ‘Assistance towards the Finalization of the MASA’.   This Agreement recognizes that the principal means of transport within CARICOM, particularly for persons, is by air, and that there are several airlines operating within the Region and  between the Community and other parts of the world.  Some of the airlines, such as Caribbean Airlines,  and LIAT are also national airlines for some Member States.  The Agreement points to the importance of all stakeholders operating by common rules.

Dr Yearwood was also expected to facilitate and participate in Meetings with CARICOM Member States. Eleven CARICOM Member States are part of the hemispheric body, which is a part of the International  Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO.) These are:  Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Canada meeting was also expected to discuss the business plan for the ICAO 2010 – 2011 Triennium, the accountability report of the ICAO/NACC’s “No Country Left Behind Strategy”,  and global aviation needs, challenges and security implementation matters.