On Monday September 26, 2016, Mr. Glenn Wicks, Founder and Managing Director of The Wicks Group, was featured as an expert panelist at the second International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) World Aviation Forum.
The 2016 World Aviation Forum, an annual event held for high-level government officials responsible for transport as well as industry partners, explored the facilitation of funding and finance to accelerate the implementation of ICAO standards and best practices around the globe. To that end, Mr. Wicks participated in a panel discussion on how private-public partnerships can bridge the aviation infrastructure gap and complement ICAO’s “No Country Left Behind” initiative.
Asked to explain what creates a successful business case for an aviation-related project, Mr. Wicks highlighted the importance of assessing whether a foreign country’s funding source, such as the Ministry of Finance, is well-connected to the Civil Aviation Authority and well-informed of the technical needs for which the funding should be deployed.
“We look to see if there is understanding at the Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority level of the precise technical standards,” Mr. Wicks shared. “Absent precise deployment of the financial resources, there will be no progress.”
In addition to discussing the importance of evaluating funding sources for technical capacity, Mr. Wicks emphasized the importance of sustaining compliance with international standards through ongoing support of a country’s aviation safety oversight system. Mr. Wicks cited the recurrent training of key staff, the empowerment of individual inspectors, and the provision of sufficient resources including staff salaries, facilities, and technological support as key factors in ensuring long-term organizational capacity.
Mr. Wicks was joined by seven other panelists during the discussion, including representatives from the aviation industry, government, non-profit, and financial service sectors. Television personality and journalist Ali Aslan served as moderator for the discussion.
The Wicks Group is a multi-disciplinary legal and consulting firm that provides specialized services to clients with aviation and transportation-related interests world-wide. The firm advises countries across the globe on achieving their civil aviation development objectives, whether achieving compliance with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or providing specialized technical and legal counsel.
The firm has helped several countries become compliant with international standards of aviation safety oversight, including five FAA IASA Category 1 achievements in the past four years. For more information about The Wicks Group’s services, please contact Glenn Wicks at gpwicks@wicks-group.com.