Wataniya to Alexandria KUWAIT'S Wataniya Airways, announced that it would start a regular service to Alexandria, selected as the Capital of Arab Tourism for 2010, from June 1st. The new schedule will provide four flights a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Monday from the exclusive Wataniya Airways Sheikh Saad Terminal to Alexandria's Borg El Arab airport. Alexandria is Wataniya Airways' tenth destination since the launch of its commercial operations in January 2009. Safety Information Exchange THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA, together with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Commission of the European Union (EU), has signed a Declaration of Intent to exchange safety data. The signing took place during the ICAO High-Level Safety Conference in Montreal. "Working together with governments using global standards, safety has improved tremendously. In 1945, there were 9 million passengers and 247 fatalities. In 2009, 2.3 billion people flew with 685 fatalities. Every fatality is a human tragedy and reminds us that we must do better. Today's agreement is one more important step to make a safe industry even safer," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. Audit data will be a key element in the project. IATA, ICAO, the FAA and the EU conduct audit programs that collect complementary safety information. An international agenda THE NATIONAL carrier EGYPTAIR on Sunday celebrated obtaining two important certifications from the FAA and EU. EGYPTAIR technical maintenance branch obtained the FAA accredit to carry out maintenance work for all aircrafts registered in the USA. The company has already obtained similar accreditation from the EU. The Training Centre has been certified by the EU to train pilots outside Europe. "Our simulations have been examined to meet the European criteria, as well as the training classes, aids, programmes as well as quality procedures," explained Al-Mu'tasem Bellah, director of the training centre. "The centre is now certified to train pilots hired for European airlines applying professional training programmes introduced by experienced teams," he added Aviation Minister Ahmed Shafiq, US Ambassador to Egypt Margrate Scooby and Chairman Hussein Massoud attended the ceremony. The Ground Services branch has come to sign an agreement with the German INFORM company to mechanise its activities and upgrade the current system applied to provide the services to clients at Cairo airport. Abdel Hameed Eid, Ground Services chairman signed for EgyptAir while Carlos San Juan signed for INFORM. According to Eid, the new project will help enlarging the productivity of both individuals and equipment as well as to introduce the services at satisfying standards to the clients. The ground services branch has successfully obtained the ISO 9001-2008 two weeks ago. The medical services branch contracted Global Consultant; an international expertise house to develop its on-line web site. Abdel Salam Helmi, the Hospital chairman invited Professor Michael Linder to a seminar that took place in Cairo last week over aviation's medical services. "The coming cooperation aims to benefit out of the internet to marketise our services. lients would be able through the new developed web site to explore all about the services, medical equipment as well as to exchange medical information and different methods of healing," commented Helmi.
