The Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) actively participated in the 62nd meeting of the ECAC Air Accident and Incident Investigation Group of Experts (ACC/62), held in Vienna, Austria the 12 May 2025, further strengthening inter-regional cooperation in the field of aviation safety. This engagement reflects ACAO’s commitment to promoting a collaborative safety culture among its Member States and global partners.

The meeting provided a valuable platform for review of recent aviation occurrences and associated lessons learnt. During the 1st session, experts presented statistical overviews and in-depth investigations into selected cases.

A key focus area of the ACC/62 meeting was Investigating Occurrences in Mountainous Areas. These complex environments pose unique challenges for accident investigation, including difficult terrain access, severe weather conditions, and limited infrastructure. Experiences was shared from Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy (states with significant mountainous terrain), and highlighted the importance of specialized training, adequate preparation, the use of drone technology for site surveying, and enhanced coordination with local search and rescue services.

Another topic discussed was the Update on Developments from Industry and Other Fora. During this session, Eurocontrol, IATA, EASA and ACAO presented different topics as GNSS RFI, Safety Recommendations for General Aviation, safety priority and importance of earlier completion and publication of accident investigation report. ACAO presented the outcomes of the MENA ARCM (Aircraft accident & incident investigation Regional Cooperation Mechanism), the achievements realised from its establishment 2 years ago. It was also an opportunity to share the conclusions of the “Aviation Safety and Aircraft Accident & Incident Investigation Symposium conducted in November 2024.

ACAO’s participation in ACC/62 reaffirmed its dedication to fostering international collaboration and continuous improvement in air accident and incident investigation. This is for supporting the overarching goal of enhancing aviation safety across the Arab world.