SOCEA Coordination Meeting on Regional Developments

SOCEA members convened in Ankara to discuss strategic aviation cooperation, addressing key issues like the Iran-Israel crisis's impact on air traffic, with leaders emphasizing the need for enhanced regional collaboration and technical innovation within the SOCEA framework.

May 16

On May 16, SOCEA members met in Ankara to discuss key issues related to the Regional Air Navigation Safety Coordination Platform for European and Asian ANSPs (SOCEA).

The meeting began with warm welcomes from SOCEA President Dr. Hüseyin Keskin, who expressed his happiness at welcoming Kyrgyzstan as a new member. He highlighted the strategic importance of close cooperation in the aviation sector, especially given the historical trade routes in the region. Dr. Keskin also emphasized the need for other brother countries to join SOCEA, bringing the platform closer to its objectives.

The discussions included the impact of the tension between Iran and Israel on air traffic, with participants exploring potential solutions. AZANS Director Mr. Farhan Guliyev praised SOCEA's success in achieving global cooperation and underscored the platform's significance in the region.

Dr. Cengiz Paşaoğlu gave a presentation on Türkiye’s significant role in global air traffic. He highlighted Türkiye's rapid recovery and growth post-pandemic, noting a new record set by Istanbul Airport with 1,684 flights on June 11, 2023. He also discussed the geopolitical challenges affecting air traffic management (ATM) services and outlined Türkiye's measures to ensure ATM safety and reliability.

Discussions included the impact of the Iran-Israel crisis on air traffic. Mr. Guliyev emphasized the importance of data sharing for effective analysis and suggested setting up a technical group to develop capacity calculations.