Aviation standards law prepares region for more flights

East African Community MPs have approved a Bill that seeks to harmonise and enhance aviation safety and training standards.

Passed last week in Bujumbura, the Bill will be presented to the Council of Ministers.

It aims at establishing the EAC civil aviation and safety standards board that will oversee the enforcement of rules.

“We discussed and passed the Civil Aviation Safety Standards Oversight Agency (CASSOA) Bill which will now be enacted,” said the Minister for East African Community Affairs Hellen Sambili. “This will see to it that our airlines are run with common regulations hence safer skies,” she said.

Africa has the highest airline accidents in the world standing at 12 per cent of all the cases.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which regulates the industry, has set a deadline of 2012 for operators to have standard safety guidelines, with the aim of reducing accidents in the continent.

Terrorist attacks

The Bill targets to harmonise rules on accident investigations, airworthiness of aircraft, registration and markings.

Once enacted, the law will open up the region to more airlines that have been hesitant to operate in East Africa, citing threats of terrorist attacks especially America airlines.

The EAC oversight body is expected to come up with regulations that will make the region more attractive to investors, especially those seeking to expand. 

“The agency will facilitate partnership among member states to help them implement the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards and recommended practices. It will provide advisory services and any other assistance and the partner states may require,” says the Bill.

It will be forwarded to partner states for assent before it becomes law.

Prof Sambili on Tuesday conducted an awareness session to MPs following a directive from President Kibaki that they be briefed on what is happening at the EAC legislative assembly.

The standards will be in tandem with the those of ICAO signed in 1994 in Chicago.

The five member states will be expected to fund the operations of the agency to strengthen the body that will work closely with the national aviation watchdogs.

An official of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, who asked to remain anonymous, said passengers would not be asked to pay more to support the running of the agency.

Complex structure

Consultants from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) found that the budget for the regional agency as funded by the national authorities was “unsustainable for the complex structure of CASSOA”.

The EAC treaty requires that partner states Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda harmonise policies to promote the development of safe, reliable, efficient and economically viable industry.