By TENDAI KADYAMOTO –
ZAMBIA has made tremendous efforts in meeting the required international aviation safety standards with its level of
implementation of safety oversight system having increased to 47 per cent in 2014.
But the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) says the achievements so far fall below the international safety requirements which were adopted under the Abuja Ministerial Conference on aviation safety in Africa.
ICAO Eastern and Southern African (ESAF) deputy regional director, Prosper Zo’o Minto’o said Zambia’s level of effective implementation of the critical elements of its safety oversight system increased to 47 per cent in 2014 from 35.2 per cent in 2009.
Mr Zo’o Minto’o said this at the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regional workshop on ICAO Aviation System Block Upgrades.
In 2011, the Zambian Government accepted the ICAO plan of action designed to support its efforts to implement the recommendations of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) with the responsibility to ensure the safety of air transport operations.
He said since then the Government had scored a lot of successes towards meeting the international obligations by implementing ICAO standards and recommended practices.
Mr Zo’o Minto’o said Zambia had recorded increased safety performance, resolving significant safety concerns which were related to the process of the issuance of the air operator certificates to the operators.
“Another positive development which is exemplary is the cooperation project between South Africa and Zambia on air operator certification on the training in 2014 which was an instrument to building
Zambia’s inspectorate capacity in the areas of airworthiness and operation of aircraft,” he said.
Mr Zo’o Minto’o, however, said that more work remained to be done as the achievement was still below the international benchmarks.
At the same event, Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Permanent Secretary Charles Sipanje said the Zambian Government had embarked on ambitious programmes of airport expansion and modernisation.
“Construction works on a new state-of-the-art infrastructure to handle five million passengers per annum has commenced at Kenneth Kaunda Airport and is expected to be completed in late 2017 and new greenfield airport is yet to be constructed near Ndola in the Copperbelt Province to replace the aged Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe Airport,” Mr Sipanje said.