YOUNG AVIATION PROFESSIONALS
My experience as a Young Aviation Professional By Osama Al-Sayaghi, Young Aviation Professional, ACI World In order to play an essential role in the sustainability of the aviation industry, the three global aviation organizations, ACI, ICAO and IATA, have come together to ensure the development of young aviation professionals. This joint collaboration has resulted in the Young Aviation Professionals (YAP) programme, which offers a range of unique experiences to participants, who spend four months within each organization. My name is Osama Al-Sayaghi and I am a YAP. Prior to joining the programme, I held a variety of positions at the Civil Aviation Authority of Yemen starting in 2000 as an Air Transport Officer, the Chief of International Affairs and most recently Director of Agreements and Organizations in the Directorate General of Air Transport. My involvement in the YAP programme has been greatly rewarding; I have been able to learn the application of theory to practice from world-class specialists, providing a truly hands-on approach. The programme has also allowed me to consolidate my knowledge of the global civil aviation world and develop my leadership skills. It has been an enriching opportunity that has brought my career in aviation to a new and exciting level. Upon arriving in Montreal, the civil aviation capital of the world, I immediately became involved in several exciting projects related to current aeropolitical issues and challenges. For instance, during my first rotation at IATA, I worked on a host of projects such as the Air Transport Regulation Panel ATRP13 agenda, passengers’ rights, funding oversight activities and corporate social responsibility in the airline industry. During my second rotation at ICAO, I participated in the ATRP13 meetings and contributed to analyzing several bilateral air service agreements in addition to developing World Air Services Agreement (WASA) applications. I also participated in developing a database for ODA in the air transport 54
FEBRUARY 2016
Osama Al-Sayaghi, Young Aviation Professional, ACI World
sector, as well as in the reassessment of ICAO document 9626. I am currently on my third and last rotation at ACI. It was an honor to attend the 206th ICAO Council Meeting with ACI’s Deputy Director General, Michael Rossell, as well as the Unlawful Interference Committee and the Air Transport Committee meeting for the 207th session. ACI also arranged amazing visits to NAV Canada and Canadian Aviation Electronics, where current and past YAP officers took part in flight simulations. Furthermore, I had assisted the ACI’s Economics and Statistics department in data analysis for their annual Economics Report. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my supervisors who accompanied me throughout the programme, as well as my colleagues for their enduring support. I extend my sincere gratitude to the three leading aviation organizations, ACI, ICAO and IATA, for their collaboration on this exciting initiative.