Türkiye, Azerbaijan set up regional air navigation platform

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye and Azerbaijan signed a cooperation protocol on Friday to set up a regional air navigation coordination platform for Europe and Asia.

"Intensive work has been realised with a view to ensure cooperation in the field of air navigation services in the Region whilst increasing effectiveness of the air traffic management," said a statement by the new platform, SOCEA, established by the Turkish State Airports Authority General Directorate and Azerbaijan's air navigation service provider Azeraeronavigation.

Underlining the "friendship and cooperation," between the two agencies, the statement called SOCEA's establishment a "huge project."

The aims of the initiative include ensuring cooperation on air traffic management and air navigation safety, as well as the exchange of information and knowledge, it said.

"In view of the anticipated contribution that advanced cooperation in the region in the field of air navigation will bring to strengthen the relationship between our countries, we are proud of SOCEA which will ensure the development of a technical cooperation in this field for both Azerbaijan and Türkiye," the statement concluded.

SOCEA aims to enhance air traffic management collaboration within the region and is open to the participation of other countries.

The protocol was signed at Istanbul Airport with the participation of the State Airports Authority's Director General Huseyin Keskin, Deputy Director General Cengiz Pasaoglu, and Farhan Guliyev, director of Azeraeronavigation's Air Traffic Department.