Oman receives ICAO Council President Certificate for aviation safety leadership

Montreal: The Sultanate of Oman has been awarded the ICAO Council President Certificate in recognition of its outstanding achievements in setting a robust and effective aviation safety oversight system and in elevating its compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

The award was conferred during the opening ceremony of the 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly, held at the Organization’s headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

The Sultanate of Oman recorded an unprecedented advance in global aviation safety compliance, climbing to 5th place worldwide in 2025 from 133rd in 2020, surpassing 127 States. At the regional level, Oman ranked 2nd in the Middle East and 2nd among GCC countries, achieving an Effective Implementation (EI) score of 95.95%.

This result reflects performance across the eight critical elements of ICAO’s safety oversight framework, encompassing all dimensions of aviation safety regulation and monitoring.

This remarkable advancement reflects the sustained efforts of Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has enacted the Civil Aviation Law and accompanying guidance material, restructured the sector to align with ICAO requirements, recruited specialized national and international expertise, and reinforced regulatory frameworks. Complementary initiatives included issuing licenses and certificates for flight crews and maintenance organizations, concluding bilateral agreements with partner States, and implementing robust policies and controls to safeguard airport security and ensure the safety of air transport operations.

Eng. Naif bin Ali Al Abri, President of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), stated: “Receiving the ICAO Council President Certificate is a culmination of our collective efforts and a clear vision to reinforce civil aviation safety and security. It reflects our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest international standards in aviation safety and security.”

He added: “This recognition also demonstrates the international community’s confidence in Oman’s readiness and its emergence as a distinguished regional hub in this vital field.”

Al Abri also emphasized that the CAA, in collaboration with its strategic partners, will continue implementing ICAO’s recommendations and further advancing the system in a sustainable manner, ensuring that this achievement is maintained while contributing to ICAO’s global objectives of enhancing aviation safety and security worldwide.

It is worth noting that ICAO introduced the Council President Certificates as part of its “No Country Left Behind” initiative, one of the Organization’s key strategic priorities.

The certificates are awarded based on the results of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program, Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP-CMA), which evaluates Member States’ compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices through regular audits and safety data analysis, thereby supporting the global enhancement of aviation safety.