The travel industry has urged well-developed legislation for consumer protection and rights and building the foundations of a clear trust between airlines and consumers and aviation authorities, said Abdullah Noor Rahimi, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). Rahimi was speaking at the closing session of the first two-day forum for the protection of consumers' rights in the aviation industry organized by the GACA here Tuesday with the participation of Arab, GCC, and foreign aviation companies. The participants have also called for competent civil aviation authorities to enforce travel laws. Jonson Mirgni, an expert in civil aviation, said he has noticed that less attention is being paid to the protection of consumers in the Arab region at both the legislative and regulatory level and in terms of the service provider. The adoptation of stricter aviation regulations for consumer protection in the Arab states would come under the convention on the liberalization of air transport between Arab countries. The establishment of regulatory and legal infrastructure to protect the rights of consumers should be in place for a traveler's peace of mind, Rahimi said. The forum participants hailed the work done by the GACA to develop a system of competent consumer protection, asking other Arab aviation authorities to be consumer-oriented. The GACA is planning to have fair competition and to provide fair opportunities for air carriers in the international air transport market, Rahimi said. But the challenge remains in activating the agreements and treaties issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ), he added. “One of the most important rights of consumers that ICAO has ensured is compensation to passengers in case of death or loss of luggage under the general convention for the unification of the rules of international air transport,” Rahimi said. “Air carriers should treat all users equally, offer lower prices, respect price stability, follow a clear mechanism to recover the value of tickets without any delay, and ensure the accuracy of information. They should also arrange appropriate places for people with special needs, and provide equipment, such as wheelchairs and train employees to deal with handicapped passengers.” The GACA has recently established a special department to take care of consumers' rights. “There are three types of legislation that ensure consumers' rights: Treaties and conventions at the global level, treaties and conventions at the regional level, and legislation and national laws.” “Every nation should provide adequate protection to consumers, with an overview of consumer protection being a symbol of the evolution and growth of the industry itself in that country,” Mirgni said. Gerald Bull, a consultant in the Federation Council's International Airports, said, “Our main aim is to improve the relationship between passengers and airlines.”
