PORT VILA: The next Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM2) is being planned for June 2022 and will be hosted by the Government of the Cook Islands, following the success of the first Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM1) in June.

The fifth Aviation Officials Meeting convened on Wednesday, 3 November 2021 to progress collaborative regional administrative arrangements for the RAMM2.

The meeting was attended virtually by aviation officials from 13 Pacific countries from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The World Bank and the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) attended as observers and the meeting was facilitated by the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO), who are the RAMM Secretariat.

The RAMM2 will consider the Pacific’s progress on the implementation of the Port Moresby Declaration on Aviation Safety and Security to advance important regional aviation matters to ensure there is safe, sustainable, and enhanced aviation system to benefit the Pacific.

Regional Aviation Ministers will consider amendments to the Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty (PICASST), the development of a ten-year regional pacific aviation strategy, and an enhanced Pacific aviation organisation at the RAMM2. The Ministers will also consider a COVID-19 impacts and recovery assessment for aviation in the Pacific.

“Regional aviation officials are working with PASO, as the RAMM Secretariat, to progress and deliver the RAMM1 outcomes via a comprehensive work plan which provides a clear way forward to achieve results for next year’s Ministerial Meeting,” said Aviation Officials Meetings Chair, Mr. John Hosking who is the Secretary for Transport in the Cook Islands.

The fifth Aviation Officials Meeting on 3 November 2021 progressed coordinated and collaborative regional administrative arrangements for the next Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM2) in 2022. Credit: paso.aero

Next year’s RAMM2 will build on the success of the last RAMM, which brought greater recognition of the strategic benefits of increased air connectivity through improved aviation safety and security, as well as the considerable challenges facing aviation compliance in the Pacific region.

“The first RAMM successfully delivered on an agreed regional way forward for aviation in the Pacific. There was clear support and direction from our Ministers for a collaborative and coordinated approach to achieve a strengthened safe and secure aviation system that will benefit the Pacific region by lifting our standards for aviation compliance and best practice,” said Mr. Hosking.

Regional Aviation Officials also endorsed a meeting program in preparation for the RAMM2. The next Aviation Officials Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 13 April 2022 followed by a final preparatory meeting in May 2022 to confirm arrangements for the proposed June 2022 RAMM2.

ENDS / 422 words