The Minister of Transport, Ali Hammoud, issued a decree defining the tasks, business and conditions for licensing air freight services offices.
According to the decision, a copy of which Al-Watan obtained, the Air Cargo Services Office handles the management and organization of the related business by securing the transportation and air freight of goods to and from the Syrian Arab Republic aboard aircraft, as well as issuing and following-up on air freight bills.
The decision delineates the conditions for licensing by the Air Cargo Services Office, which include creating its own work guide that includes the office’s purpose and goals, shipment security procedures, and the appropriate structure for the office’s operations. The structure takes into account the availability of an administrative and technical staff of at least three employees to carry out the work of the Air Cargo Services Office according to the methodology approved in the office’s work guide, provided that all office employees are qualified and have completed at least one training course in the field of air cargo security, and that among the office workers is at least one employee who is trained in the field of transporting dangerous goods by air.
The decision also stipulated that those applying for a license be a Syrian Arab citizen or someone who has fulfilled all legal prerequisites and that the surface area for practicing air freight services should not be less than 20 square meters.
In a special statement to Al-Watan, Hammoud stated that the decision regulating air cargo operations and office work is of great importance, and facilitates the work of companies through airports and controls the way of dealing with safety and security measures, as well as helps stimulate commerce.
Hammoud indicated that the decision contributes to attracting companies, especially considering the facilities, conditions, and licensing procedures.
In turn, the Director General of Syrian Civil Aviation, Bassem Mansour, told Al-Watan that the decision limits the validity of the license to three years, and it become effective upon issuance and after the submission of an annual bank guarantee for the amount of 2 million Syrian pounds or its equivalent in dollars or euros, from one of the approved banks in Syria. The guarantee ensures the timely payment of fees and obligations incurred by the Air Cargo Services Office, which returned after submitting a clearance in the event that the licensee does not wish to renew their license.
Mansour pointed out that the license certificate for the air freight services office is issued and renewed for a period of three years in exchange for a cash allowance of 1.5 million Syrian pounds or its equivalent in dollars or euros in the corporation’s account, and 750,000 Syrian pounds or its equivalent in dollars or euros to renew the license for a three-year period.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
