IATA and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) are leading the charge to bring the continent's air safety record in line with global standards. And AFRAA is confident that with a little help from IATA, all the continent's airlines will be able to meet the 2015 deadline to achieve the IATA operational safety audit certification.
The Abuja Declaration, which was endorsed by all the African heads of states in January, requires all African airlines to be IOSA compliant by the end of 2015 to qualify for an air operator certificate, says AFRAA secretary general Elijah Chingosho. "It means potentially that by January 2016, without IOSA, airlines could lose their air operator certificates."
Chingosho says the two associations are working together to assist those airlines that are currently non-compliant to prepare for the IOSA audits through a series of workshops.
"We've held three already - the first was in Nairobi in February. We've also jointly held a workshop with CEOs of airlines not in IOSA, so they understand what is required and appreciate that safety is an investment and not a cost," he says. "I'm confident the 2015 deadline can be achieved."
AFRAA believes that the costs to achieve IOSA compliance should not be high. "We are also running a series of free courses that IATA is funding and AFRAA is hosting so that airlines can be enlightened about how they can go about their IOSA audit," Chingosho says.
The safety drive should also not necessarily force airlines to invest in more modern aircraft, as safety is not determined by age if the aircraft are properly maintained. "But if you have an old aircraft, the maintenance costs can be very high," he says.
AFRAA identifies two countries that consistently drag down Africa's safety standards - the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Chingosho says these two countries account for 50% of Africa's accidents every year, but points out that they have both been involved in conflicts for a long time. "You need security to create an environment where you can have safe operations," he says.
Source: Flight Daily News
