Muscat – The Oman Committee for Air Sports, under the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth, signed a cooperation agreement with the Association of Paragliding Pilots and Instructors (APPI), a non-profit organisation based in Switzerland, last week.

Under the agreement, APPI will support and provide the relevant training, courses, licences and draft the paragliding rules and regulations to be applied in the sultanate. It will also support pilots by conducting workshops and training courses.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Dr Ahmed bin Saeed al Jahuri, Chairman of Oman Committee of Air Sports, said it is working to draft rules for the sport in the sultanate and set up local and global collaborations.

“This agreement is one of the most important achievements for us, and we hope that it will serve the sport of paragliding through application of international legislation and regulations.”

The committee is working to facilitate all procedures related to obtaining permits and to enable the sport to grow in the sultanate.

Shahin Fallah, Master Instructor at APPI, said that the agreement is a big step forward for air sports in the sultanate. “Implementation of the APPI education system in the country will help Omani pilots progress to advance professional levels safely. We are going to plan the required courses and workshops in Oman as soon as possible to help pilots and instructors reach an acceptable level of knowledge, techniques and experience with the most updated methods,” said Fallah.

“Our goal is to train professional tandem pilots and instructors and help the air sports community grow fast and safely.”