ALTA signs a Declaration to deepen high-level technical-academic collaboration with states of the North American, Central American and Caribbean regions

Panama, September 6, 2023 - The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), facilitated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is joining forces to strengthen civil aviation training in the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NAM/CAR) regions. In an effort to promote regional cooperation and improve air transport safety and efficiency through training, ALTA today signed a Declaration of Intent that sets the basis for a high-level technical-academic collaboration.

The agreement will allow the promotion and exchange of experiences, especially for the design, planning, implementation and control of academic programs, research and innovation projects, as well as technical assistance. These initiatives will result in the standardization of competency-based training programs in a regional platform that is ALTA's Educational Hub, the updating of contents, the promotion of specific programs for participating organizations.

This signing takes place within the framework of the first ALTA Pilot Training Connect edition in Panama City, a regional event that brings together for the first time in the region the experts in pilot training. ALTA's Executive Director & CEO, José Ricardo Botelho, comments: "Training is essential to ensure safety and efficiency in air transport, and this collaboration among ALTA and the States of the NAM/CAM/CAR Region, under the sponsorship of ICAO, is a significant stride forward in this sense. We are committed to working together in order to bring state-of-the-art training programs that address the growing needs of the aviation industry in our regions."

The agreement also highlights the importance of updating training programs to address key topics, such as data linkage, trajectory operations and automation, in accordance with ICAO international standards. In addition, it seeks to promote the exchange of teachers and researchers, the updating of curricula and collaboration on research and development projects.

The NAM/CAR Regions Civil Aviation Training Centers Working Group (NAM/CAR/CATC/WG) will play a crucial role as a support body to improve training and human factors in civil aviation.

"This agreement represents a significant stride towards improving civil aviation training in the NAM/CAR regions and strengthens the cooperation between ALTA and ICAO for the benefit of air transport safety and efficiency in the region," Julio Siu, Deputy Director of the ICAO North American, Central American and Caribbean Regional Office commented.