East African Airlines Undergoing Tests to Enhance Safety

Text of report by John Oyuke entitled “EAC airlines undergo aviation tests” published by Kenyan privately-owned daily newspaper The Standard website on 28 August

East Africa Community (EAC) airlines are undergoing major aviation tests to enhance safety.

Regional aviation safety body, Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (Cassoa) is undertaking a re-certification exercise for the airlines to ensure a safe aviation industry.

Executive Director Mtesigwa Maugo said airlines that do not meet the standards by the agency would not be certified.

He however said the agency, working through its experts and local civil aviation authorities, would help such carriers achieve required standards. The exercise, which was to be conducted in five phases, commenced on 19 August and scheduled for conclusion this week.

The first phase involved pre-application, where the airline operators were to meet with Cassoa for a briefing on the exercise.

The next four stages were the formal application (by operators), evaluation of documents (by Cassoa), demonstration (physical assessment of operators’ systems and equipment) and the eventual approval for operation. Representatives from the region’s major carriers met with Cassoa officials and the agency’s appointed aviation experts in Tanzania last week and this week.

Kenya Airways and East African Safari Express were some of the major players in Arusha for the meetings.

Tanzanian carriers were to follow on Thursday [21 August] and Friday last week before Uganda air operators complete the phase this week.

The re-certification exercise follows the end of a one-year grace period provided to the carriers to adjust to new regional aviation requirements, put in place after EAC member states harmonized air safety regulations.

Rwanda and Burundi carriers, the two countries that joined EAC last year, are yet to be included in this arrangement. Cassoa was set up in April last year to help partner states implement recommended standards and ensure a safe and secure aviation industry.

During its third board meeting held on 31 January, this year, in Arusha, Cassoa board approved several activities to improve the safety and security of civil aviation industry in East Africa.

Originally published by The Standard website, Nairobi, in English 28 Aug 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Africa. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.