Directors General attend annual Special meeting in Maastricht
Maastricht, 5-7 September 2024 — More than 90 participants from 36 Member States and observer organisations gathered in Maastricht for the annual Special meeting of Directors General of Civil Aviation. Hosted jointly by Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg, the event was opened by Frans Weekers, Secretary General of the Benelux Union, along with the Directors General of Civil Aviation from all three host countries.
A highlight of the first day was a session on “How was summer 2024 for you?”, opened by Raúl Medina, Director General of EUROCONTROL. Mr Medina gave a frank account of the air navigation challenges faced in Europe over the summer. He emphasised the operational challenges, notably due to extreme weather disruptions, and the need for action from all parties to address the situation. Several ECAC Member States also shared their experiences, with air traffic control delays, labour disputes and weather-related disruptions all featuring to differing degrees across Europe during the summer season.
On the second day, a closed session was held, focusing on European priorities for the 42nd ICAO Assembly in 2025. Directors General engaged in a broad discussion aimed at guiding ECAC’s groups in developing proposals to advance these priorities.
Other key topics included the proposed future participation of the United States in the ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP) of security equipment, and a decision in principle on changes to the funding model. Finally, updates were provided on European participation in the ICAO Committee on Aviation and Environmental Protection, whose 13th cycle will reach its conclusion in February 2025. The meeting also addressed the growing conversation around aviation’s non-CO2 impacts on climate change.
The meeting concluded extending thanks to the hosts for their warm hospitality.