Pacific aviation ministers meet in Tuvalu for RAMM4

By Andrew Curran.

Tuvalu hosted the Fourth Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting (RAMM4) this week on behalf of the Pacific Aviation Safety Office. The meeting’s theme was A More Connected, Safe, Affordable and Resilient Pacific.

The agenda covered the Regional Aviation Action Plan; progress of the Air Connectivity Working Group; future options for the RAMM Secretariat; the Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty; and planning for the next Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Tuvalu’s Minister of Transport, Energy, Communication and Innovation, Simon Kofe.

“The RAMM is an opportunity for us to come together to discuss and express our concerns over the challenges facing the aviation sector, while building on the successes of previous meetings,” he said.

“This meeting allows us to further demonstrate our commitment to expediting attention to aviation priorities and advancing collective efforts to achieve transformative change for regional aviation.”

Alongside aviation ministers and officials from across the region, online attendees included Baron Waqa, Juan Carlos Salazar, Tao Ma, and Kyal Barter.

Improving connectivity, safety, and resilience across member nations

The Pacific Aviation Safety Office is the international organisation responsible for providing regional aviation safety oversight services to the ten Pacific states that are signatories to the Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty (PICASST).

“Our organisation oversees aviation safety and security in the Pacific region by aligning regulations with ICAO standards, bringing together technical resources, and facilitating regional cooperation,” said PASO General Manager Ueta Solomona.

“We work by addressing the specific needs and threats facing the Pacific and creating a comprehensive support system for the aviation industry that aligns with global development.”

The office focuses on audits and inspections, regulatory assistance, training, and capacity development.

The Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are the current PICASST signatories. Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand are associate members.

International agencies lend support

International agencies supporting the Pacific Aviation Safety Office include Airways New Zealand; the Asian Development Bank; the Association of South Pacific Airlines; Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority; the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand; the Australian Government; the New Zealand Government; the Vanuatu Government; International Civil Aviation Organization; the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat; the Pacific Tourism Organisation; the Federal Aviation Administration; and the World Bank.

Most of these organisations had representatives attending this week’s meeting.

Solomona said the ministers attending the meeting were focused on building a safe, secure, connected, and sustainable aviation industry in line with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

“With regard to connectivity, we recognise the fuel crisis is an impediment to services in the region and appreciate the Forum Taskforce that has been established to examine increased airfares, aerodromes for refuelling, and related issues,” he said.

Tuvalu will host the next in-person Regional Aviation Ministers Meeting in 2027.

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com