IAOPA promotes GA at world conference

IAOPA promotes GA at world conference

IAOPA Secretary General John Sheehan (left) and Bill Peppler, IAOPA representative to ICAO, educate world aviation officials on the importance of general aviation at ICAO's ANSConf 2000 in Montreal.

IAOPA (the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations) is promoting general aviation at an international conference of world aviation officials gathered at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.

IAOPA Secretary General John Sheehan presented a formal paper to the ICAO Conference on the Economics of Airports and Air Navigation Services (ANSConf 2000, June 19-28) demonstrating that general aviation and aerial work (GA/AW) operations contribute significantly to world economies and are the foundation of the world's air transportation system. (See " IAOPA to defend general aviation interests.")

IAOPA also staffed a booth and presented an AOPA-US video on general aviation to educate aviation officials from some 185 ICAO-member countries. AOPA-US also provided staff support to IAOPA in Montreal.

The head of ICAO's air navigation commission recently told AOPA-US that GA is a "U.S. problem" and that GA is "not significant" in the rest of the world.

"More than 600,000 pilots and 300,000 aircraft engage in GA/AW activities worldwide, comprising the majority of aviation operations," said Sheehan. "GA/AW needs must be accommodated by national authorities as they plan and operate aviation infrastructures."

Sheehan also presented three framed photographs of representative general aviation aircraft to the ICAO secretary general. There are currently no photos of GA aircraft displayed in the ICAO headquarters.

00-2-095x

June 26, 2000