SpootNICK
28th Jun 2007, 12:40
Africa gets continental airspace authorityhttp://banner.coza.com/transpix.gifWindhoek, Namibiahttp://banner.coza.com/transpix.gifhttp://banner.coza.com/transpix.gifhttp://banner.coza.com/transpix.gifhttp://banner.coza.com/transpix.gif27 June 2007 02:35http://banner.coza.com/transpix.gifDisplayDCAd('220x240','1','');
Africa's skies are set to become safer with the inauguration on Thursday of the African Civil Aviation Agency (ACAA), a continental body to standardise and oversee licensing, training and inspection of aviation staff and equipment.
"Like the rest of the world, Africa is trying to standardise and have a uniform, liberalised airspace, and you can't do that with 54 different civil aviation authorities," ACAA CEO Mwangi wa Kamau said on Wednesday.
The ACAA is to be based in the Namibian capital, Windhoek. Five regional bodies, based in Libya (North Africa), Ethiopia (East Africa), Cameroon (Central Africa), Nigeria (West Africa) and South Africa (Southern Africa) will serve as networking agencies under its auspices.
Together with Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Kenya, the five countries that will host the regional bodies account for over 80% of air traffic in Africa.
With staff drawn from and paid for by governments affiliated to the ACAA, the body hopes to bring down the rate of fatal aviation accidents in Africa.
Accounting for a mere 3% of global air traffic, Africa has a disproportionately large share of accidents.
"At the moment we stand at 17%, or just under one in five of all fatal aircraft accidents in the world," wa Kamau said.
He attributed the dramatic rise in accidents over the past few years to the increase in air traffic across the continent and the increase in the reporting of accidents, but also to a lack of responsibility on the part of pilots.
A "culture of patronage" reigns among pilots, who often feel more beholden to their employers than to their passengers, he noted.
"What we're trying to do is develop a culture of responsibility, with or without the long arm of the law looking over your shoulder."
This, he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, will not only help bring down accident rates but also ensure that better-trained staff are not siphoned off to other parts of the world.
"If the ACAA can ensure that aviators are certified and paid according to international standards, they will be able to help ensure air travel in Africa is deemed safe."
Pilots will be able to move freely across the continent and take up new positions without being subjected to lengthy national approval procedures.
Industry experts predict growth of 5,4% for Africa's commercial air transport sector over the next 20 years, driven, according to Airbus's latest global market forecast, by solid economic and tourism growth and inter-African traffic.
Worldwide growth in the sector is predicted at 4,8%.
Africa's fleet of commercial aircraft is also predicted to more than double by 2025, to about 1 000.
Currently, most Africa airlines are in state hands and, despite a basic agreement on the liberalisation of African air traffic, operate in a heavily regulated market. -- Sapa-dpa
Seeing is believing............... :yuk:
SN
Africa's skies are set to become safer with the inauguration on Thursday of the African Civil Aviation Agency (ACAA), a continental body to standardise and oversee licensing, training and inspection of aviation staff and equipment.
"Like the rest of the world, Africa is trying to standardise and have a uniform, liberalised airspace, and you can't do that with 54 different civil aviation authorities," ACAA CEO Mwangi wa Kamau said on Wednesday.
The ACAA is to be based in the Namibian capital, Windhoek. Five regional bodies, based in Libya (North Africa), Ethiopia (East Africa), Cameroon (Central Africa), Nigeria (West Africa) and South Africa (Southern Africa) will serve as networking agencies under its auspices.
Together with Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Kenya, the five countries that will host the regional bodies account for over 80% of air traffic in Africa.
With staff drawn from and paid for by governments affiliated to the ACAA, the body hopes to bring down the rate of fatal aviation accidents in Africa.
Accounting for a mere 3% of global air traffic, Africa has a disproportionately large share of accidents.
"At the moment we stand at 17%, or just under one in five of all fatal aircraft accidents in the world," wa Kamau said.
He attributed the dramatic rise in accidents over the past few years to the increase in air traffic across the continent and the increase in the reporting of accidents, but also to a lack of responsibility on the part of pilots.
A "culture of patronage" reigns among pilots, who often feel more beholden to their employers than to their passengers, he noted.
"What we're trying to do is develop a culture of responsibility, with or without the long arm of the law looking over your shoulder."
This, he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, will not only help bring down accident rates but also ensure that better-trained staff are not siphoned off to other parts of the world.
"If the ACAA can ensure that aviators are certified and paid according to international standards, they will be able to help ensure air travel in Africa is deemed safe."
Pilots will be able to move freely across the continent and take up new positions without being subjected to lengthy national approval procedures.
Industry experts predict growth of 5,4% for Africa's commercial air transport sector over the next 20 years, driven, according to Airbus's latest global market forecast, by solid economic and tourism growth and inter-African traffic.
Worldwide growth in the sector is predicted at 4,8%.
Africa's fleet of commercial aircraft is also predicted to more than double by 2025, to about 1 000.
Currently, most Africa airlines are in state hands and, despite a basic agreement on the liberalisation of African air traffic, operate in a heavily regulated market. -- Sapa-dpa
Seeing is believing............... :yuk:
SN