AFCAC, IATA and AFRAA join forces to promote aviation safety in Africa

The objective is to provide technical support to the African air operators of states party to the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) to ensure that they achieve and maintain global aviation safety standards.

The initiative is backed by African Development Bank grant funding provided to AFCAC and is specifically for carriers in countries that have signed up to the African Union’s (AU) flagship Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) program.

The project will identify eligible airlines, conduct gap analyses and recommend corrective actions for each participating carrier to prepare them for IATA Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) or IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) evaluation.

In addition, participating airlines’ personnel will receive quality and safety management systems training. IATA, AFRAA, and AFCAC will also host workshops and training sessions held at their facilities in Nairobi, Johannesburg and Dakar.

"We are committed to opening up Africa’s skies through SAATM and supporting the region’s airlines in doing so,” said Tefera Mekonnen Tefera, secretary-general of AFCAC. Image:  African Aerospace

“Depending on the size of their organisation and aircraft they operate, airlines wanting to take advantage of the SAATM’s market and commercial expansion benefits are required to be certified either through IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) or Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) programs. Both safety programs are globally recognized, and part of the African Safety Targets of Abuja Ministerial Declaration hallmarks of aviation safety. We are committed to opening up Africa’s skies through SAATM and supporting the region’s airlines in doing so,” explained Tefera Mekonnen Tefera, Secretary-General of AFCAC.

“This project will not only bolster safety standards in line with the Abuja Declaration on Safety in Africa. It will also help operationalize the SAATM and reinforce the development of sustainable commercial air transport in Africa, which is crucial to the recovery and future growth of economies throughout the continent that have been devastated by the COVID-19 crisis,” said IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Muhammad Ali Albakri.

“The ultimate goal of the project is to improve safety levels for the airline sector in Africa. Indeed, the 2012 Abuja Declaration safety targets stipulate that all African-based airlines,

attain IOSA or ISAA certification by the end of 2022,” said Abdérahmane Berthé, Secretary General, AFRAA.