The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is launching the Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Programme (CASIP) to reduce the accident and serious incident rate across Africa, as part of the Focus Africa initiative.
IATA’s launch partners include the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Boeing, and the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA).
Together the partners will prioritise the most urgent safety concerns in Africa and rally the resources to address them. The benefits of improving aviation safety in Africa will be spread across the economies and societies of the continent.
The starting point is the effective use of global standards for safety. At government level, a key indicator is effective implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). Data from 2022 shows room for improvement, with only 28 African states reaching an effective implementation of ICAO SARPS rate of 60% or above.
The partners will identify deficiencies in safety and implement corrective plans of action; provide safety training and workshops across the continent; promote a data-driven approach to safety performance with emphasis on making data available; and ensuring efficient accident and incident reporting.
“Improving aviation safety will play an important role in Africa’s overall development,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general. “With such broad benefits at stake, we hope that other parties will be encouraged to join the CASIP effort.”