RIYADH — The Board of Trustees of the Saudi Academy for Civil Aviation of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) on Sunday discussed several topics related to organizational and procedural aspects, strategic plans and goals, and the achievements thus far. At a virtual meeting, chaired by Dr. Mansour Bin Saleh Al-Yami, undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport for Support Services and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Academy, the board also reviewed international partnerships with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). Abdul Mohsen Bin Yusef Al-Qashqari, president of the academy, said the board also discussed a number of challenges and solutions and put forward proposals that would advance the training process in the academy, and invest in international partnerships and alliances that they have achieved in a way that contributes to supporting the outputs and raising the level of workers' efficiency. Furthermore, measures to develop the employees performance in the areas of safety and security of air transport in accordance with the highest international standards also came up for discussion, he said. The academy, Al-Qashqari said, aims within its future strategic vision to lead in the field of civil aviation training, and to acquire the largest share in training and development in this field at the regional level. He indicated that the plans and strategies currently in place are able to meet the needs of the civil aviation sectors, in light of the expansion witnessed in the sector. He said the Saudi Academy provides specialized training programs, through which an approved certificate is given for the specializations of air traffic control, aviation systems maintenance, fire and rescue, airport operation, and aviation security. The academy also supervises the language proficiency test for pilots, controllers and air dispatchers (SAELPT) according to the requirements of the ICAO. The academy offers dozens of specialized short development courses that are geared for all workers in the civil aviation sector. These courses are provided by qualified and internationally licensed Saudi trainers.
