Interview: ICAO president: World aviation industry to recover in one or two years

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

MONTREAL, March 4 (Chinese media) -- The world air travel,

though already felt the pinch of the economic recession, will recover in "one or

two years," predicted Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, president of the Council of the

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

"We are confident that in short time, maybe in one or

two years, the air transport will recover the dynamic it had in the past,"

Gonzalez told Chinese media in an exclusive interview in his office at the ICAO

headquarters in Montreal on Tuesday.

"The transport is very sensitive to the economy,"

Gonzalez said, adding a slowing economy already had an adverse impact on the

aviation industry.

Passenger traffic growth from 2007-2008 is 1.8

percent, and the cargo has been more affected, recording only 1.1 percent

growth, according to an ICAO report. During 2006-2007, passenger traffic growth

was 7.1 percent, the cargo 4.6 percent.

"That means the growth has been reduced. Anyway, we

still have some growth in the last year," Gonzalez said.

ICAO's outlook for traffic in 2009 is poor for all

the regions, and growth is expected to be around zero percent, he said, but 2010

will see a traffic recovery with an expected growth of around4.4 percent.

"I am very, very optimistic (about the recovery)," he

said.

To offset the recession impact, Gonzalez said, many

airlines have started to take cost efficient measures such as fleet reduction,

routes cancellation and merger negotiations.

In some airlines, passengers now have to pay for the

second luggage and very light food on board. And some even went a bit too far.

"I have listened today from my good source of

information that one airline is charging to use the toilet." Gonzalez said

without mentioning the source and the airline.

However, he emphasized that "no one of these measures

the airline is taking should affect safety, safety is our priority No.1."

"We have a safety audit program here in order to

oblige civil aviation authorities to oversee the airline operations, to warranty

safety."

After all, he said, "air travel is a very successful

model of transportation and it is the safest model of transportation."

One of ICAO main concerns though, Gonzalez said, is

to have sufficient quality professionals well trained for the industry's growth

in years to come.

"We promote strongly the aviation training centers to

improve the capacity, because if we keep growing at 4 or 5 percent, we could

have some problems," he said.

It takes time to prepare pilots, maintenance

engineers and air traffic controllers, the industry cannot prepare them in one

month, two months, or even one year, he said.

"That is why we have to keep moving in that

directions. Training is the no. 1 condition for safety," he added.