GCAS Celebrates the Graduation of the First ICAO Aviation Security Training Course

04 Oct 2010 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
In a special ceremony endorsed by GCAA and held at Al Bateen Executive Airports, the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies (GCAS) celebrated the graduation of the first ICAO “ASTP 123 BASIC TRAINING FOR AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL”

Following the certification of GCAS facilities by the Department of Aviation Security & Infrastructure in the General Civil Aviation Authority in June this year to provide civil aviation security courses, this course was established in line with the training guidelines legislated by the Civil Aviation Law of the United Arab Emirates. It was attended by representatives from government entities including the Ministry of Interior, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Abu Dhabi Police- Ports and Airports Department, Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) and Etihad Airways as part of its role as one of the leading training providers in the region.

Omar Bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General GCAA, said: “GCAA strives to ensure that all necessary efforts are made to elevate the standards of practice in the aviation industry, and we consider GCAS to be one of our main tools in achieving this through valuable trainings and accredited programs as this aviation security course. I am delighted to witness this graduation today and to be re-assured that the UAE is working collectively on producing a new generation of aviation professionals.”

In this regard, Dr. Othman Al Khouri, Deputy General Manager at GCAS, stated: “The completion of the first round in this highly acclaimed aviation security course is a milestone in GCAS’s short history, as through such highly professional and fundamentally needed programs the centre will attain its position as a leading aviation training provider in the region”

“GCAS will continue to promote international best practices in aviation safety and security, and all other areas of airport operations, and play a key role in developing the future leaders of this dynamic industry in the region,” Dr. Othman concluded.

GCAS, a GCAA certified centre, is the exclusive training provider for JAATO in the Gulf and Middle East region, and is the tenth certified training center to provide ACI courses, which attracted the attention of many aviation organisations from across the GCC and Middle East.