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The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), aimed at enhancing co-operation in civil aviation.**media[361685]**The MoU was signed by QCAA Acting President Mohammed bin Faleh al-Hajri and CASSOS chairperson Nari Williams-Singh. The signing took place on the sidelines of the CARICOM Forum, held under the theme "Strengthening Regional Co-operation in Aviation Safety and Security for a Sustainable Future for All," in conjunction with the 42nd Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), currently taking place in Montreal, Canada.**media[361686]**The agreement aims to bolster co-operation in various areas, including aviation safety, security, air navigation, and environmental sustainability. It also focuses on capacity building and professional development in the civil aviation sector, contributing to sectoral growth and integration of aviation systems both regionally and globally.**media[361687]**On the sidelines of the assembly, al-Hajri also held bilateral meetings with key international aviation leaders, including Deputy Administrator of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Chris Rocheleau; Director General of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, Alexander D'Orsogna; and Minister of Transport and Infocommunications of the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, Pengiran Dato Shamhary Mustapha.The meetings discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in civil aviation, support joint initiatives within ICAO, and exchange views on key issues on the agenda of the 42nd ICAO Assembly.

Singapore has pledged to strengthen aviation safety practices around in-flight turbulence after two accidents last year that resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries.Severe turbulence will now be classified as a state-level operational safety risk, alongside runway incursions, mid-air collisions and system failures, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said in its Singapore National Aviation Safety Plan for 2025-2027, released on Wednesday.The report identified 45 actions to bolster safety around operational and emerging risk areas. Of the accidents logged by Singapore in 2024, turbulence ranked as the highest. In an earlier safety plan for 2022-2024, turbulence was mentioned mainly in the context of training and operational awareness, not classified as a priority risk area in its own right.In May last year, one person died and scores of passengers suffered serious injuries when a Singapore Airlines Ltd flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar. In September, one passenger and one cabin crew were injured on a Guangzhou-bound flight that ran into turbulence over Hong Kong. Investors continue to probe the cause of the May accident.In the immediate aftermath of that first incident, airlines worked to implement a variety of measures including drilling flight crews on turbulence-related scenarios and enhancing forecasting and detection systems.Midair instability is becoming a more common hazard for carriers and passengers as rising global air traffic density means more planes flying in crowded skies, often through the same storm systems. Climate change is another factor: warming temperatures at cruising altitudes are strengthening jet streams and creating conditions linked to more frequent episodes of so-called “clear-air turbulence.”Some of the recommendations made by CAAS in its latest safety plan were around enhancing the accuracy of meteorological information, improving advance turbulence forecasting and on-board detection systems, sharing real-time turbulence data globally and adopting wider use of modern weather radar and turbulence awareness applications for pilots.“The recent spate of serious aviation safety incidents around the world is a timely reminder that we must stay vigilant and not take safety for granted,” Han Kok Juan, CAAS director-general, said. “The National Aviation Safety Plan is a call to action for the Singapore aviation sector to work together to ensure aviation safety as we position ourselves for growth.”