The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Programme in Africa as part of its Focus Africa campaign.
The objective of the programme is to reduce the number of accidents and serious incidents in the region.
IATA announced that the programme has been initiated in collaboration with several partners, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the African Civil Aviation Commission, the US Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, and the Airlines Association of Southern Africa.
The Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Programme aims to identify and prioritize the most critical safety issues in Africa and gather the necessary resources to address them effectively. By bringing together key stakeholders and pooling their efforts, the program seeks to enhance aviation safety across the continent.
“The benefits of improving aviation safety in Africa will be spread across the economies and societies of the continent,” it noted.
IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh, said, “Improving aviation safety will play an important role in Africa’s overall development. Safe, efficient and reliable air connectivity is a major driving contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In that sense, CASIP will make it clear to governments across the continent that aviation must be prioritised as an integral part of national development strategies. With such broad benefits at stake, we hope that other parties will be encouraged to join the CASIP effort.”
Furthermore, the CASIP partners are committed to identifying operational safety gaps and implementing corrective measures. They will develop action plans to address these deficiencies effectively. Additionally, the program will offer safety training and workshops across the African continent to enhance safety awareness and practices.
CASIP also emphasizes the importance of a data-driven approach to safety performance. The partners will work towards making safety data readily available to decision-makers and stakeholders. This data-driven approach will contribute to informed decision-making and effective safety management. Additionally, the program aims to streamline accident and incident reporting processes to ensure efficiency and accuracy in reporting.
Through these initiatives, CASIP partners seek to improve operational safety, provide comprehensive training, enhance data utilization, and foster a culture of proactive safety management in the aviation industry across Africa.
Walsh said, “Improving safety performance is a priority for Africa. And we don’t need to reinvent the wheel to deliver the needed results. Collaborative safety teams in Latin America have demonstrated that safety improves when government and industry work together to implement global standards. By working together, the partners will pool resources to have a greater impact on areas where risk can be reduced, leading to measurable improvements in safety.”
