Washington, DC, September 10, 2013 – The Flight Safety Foundation announced today that H.E. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Civil Aviation Authority of United Arab Emirates, is the 2013 recipient of the FSF-Aviation Week and Space Technology Distinguished Service Award. Al Suwaidi also serves as chairman of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission Council.
First awarded in 1949, this award is given out each year in recognition of distinguished service in achieving safer utilization of aircraft. “Under Mr. Al Suwaidi’s leadership, the GCAA embarked on its own state safety program and developed its own safety incident reporting system, unique in the Arab region,” stated Capt. Kevin Hiatt, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. “This proactive approach to safety in the United Arab Emirates is a model to all the other states in that region and around the world.”
As chairman of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission Council, Al Suwaidi helped combine its strengths with those of the GCAA. He inspired a strategy roadmap and organizational framework for the ACAC. The GCAA provided many free workshops, seminars and conferences for the Middle East region and other international organizations.
“Mr. Al Suwaidi’s career is an example for others to follow in his work to improve aviation safety and increase safe operations in a region of the world that has already achieved a zero accident rate in 2012,” Capt. Hiatt continued. “It is a great honor to be able to recognize his work with the FSF-Aviation Week and Space Technology Distinguished Service Award.
UAE Representative to ICAO, Capt. Aysha Al Hamili, accepted the award on his behalf at a luncheon during Aviation Week and Space Technology’s NEXTGEN AHEAD Air Transportation Modernization Conference in Washington, DC.
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Flight Safety Foundation (www.flightsafetstg.wpenginepowered.com) is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community.
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, +1 703 739 6700, ext 126; mcgee@webdeva.flightsafety.org
