Uganda under the auspices of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is grateful to host the 6th African and Indian Ocean (AFI) Aviation Week with an overall objective of identifying and sharing success stories, perceived challenges and opportunities as well as have an opportunity to advocate for aviation’s strategic importance to national economies and promote the emergence of synergies, to the benefit of all Africans so as to achieve the global goal of “No One Is Left Behind”.
While addressing the African and Indian Ocean (AFI) member states during a symposium that was held in Kampala on Tuesday, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, stated that the focus of the 6th African and Indian Ocean (AFI) is to exchange ideas, share experiences and analyze Challenges faced by the member states and other stakeholders in complying with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and implementing the GASep and the Windhoek Declaration and Targets for Aviation Security and Facilitation in the AFI region.
Our forecast in the coming 15 years shows that the global traffic volume will be doubling and in Africa it will present an annual growth of 4.3 percent and 3.8 percent both for the Passenger and Cargo volumes respectively. I therefore urge African Member states to modernize their civil Aviation Infrastructure which include Airports and Air Navigation services, equipment as well as Passenger and Airport operations. African member states also need to invest in human capacity by recruiting qualified and skilled aviation professionals. We need to see more women and girls join the Aviation sector in order to enhance gender equality and also to promote aviation as a promising career for the young generation, Dr. Fang Liu stated.
She added
In the past couple of years, 3 to 4 years, Africa is a fast improving region in safety and security implementation of ICAO Standards and that’s why ICAO continues to support Africa Civil Aviation development and in particular, we support the AFI Safety plan, AFI Security and Facilitation Plan and with the partners from other regions and other member states, we can help the African States with it’s implementation rate which is still below the world average and help them to enhance it’s capability and ability for the safety and security oversight and also be able to enhance the safety and security level so as to promote the global goal of “No One Is left Behind”
On her part, Transport and Works Minister Hon. Monica Azuba Ntege expressed her gratitude towards ICAO and African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) for considering Uganda to host the 6th African and Indian Ocean (AFI) Aviation Week.
The Government of Uganda attaches great importance to the aviation sector because it guarantees the country direct international access to promote trade, tourism and social economic development. I am glad that this symposium is going to discuss and find solutions to emerging threats such as cyber security, land-side security, border security, insider threats and operation of unmanned aircraft systems, which are critical and extremely appropriate in our current global setting. Aviation safety, security and facilitation is the mandate of each state, which in many cases is delegated to regulatory Authorities to ensure sustainable enhancement of aviation safety, security and facilitation through the effective implementation of ICAO Strategic objectives, revised Abuja safety Targets, ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Windhoek Declaration Targets, Hon. Monica Ntege stated.
She added
The presence of ICAO and other international bodies plays a leadership role in providing guidance to tackle challenges facing the industry and Uganda is committed to partnering with and supporting ICAO and AFCAC in these efforts.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Managing Director Dr. David Kakuba revealed that Uganda recently attained the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification from the United Kingdom Accreditation service ahead of the December 2019 deadline set for at least 60 percent of the African States to have attained the same. Dr. Kakuba encouraged the other members of the AFI Region to work towards this accreditation.
