Aviation authority launchedThe Minister of Works and Transport, Alpheus !Naruseb, wants to see an attractive aviation industry. Hopes to clean up its image Namibia’s aviation industry has made remarkable improvements in the area of safety and security over the past few decades. This is according to the Minister of Works and Transport Alpheus !Naruseb who said the country’s safety oversight within the aviation industry has improved remarkably due to proactive interventions that have been taken.
!Naruseb was speaking at the launch of the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the inauguration of its first board of directors.
He said the aviation industry in Namibia was in the past a very unattractive employer of choice and this was evident from successive audit findings that dated back to the 1990s by the Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety and Security Oversight Programme.
!Naruseb said the new Civil Aviation Act and the establishment of the NCAA will result in Namibia exceeding the ICAO effective implementation benchmark of 70%.
According to him, the NCAA Act moves Namibia much closer to compliance with the five basic critical elements that ICAO consider are the fundamental foundation for a state to respond effectively to its safety and security oversight responsibilities in terms of the Chicago Convention.
He explained that there is a need for governments to adopt aviation change and risk management policies and ensure operator service standards continue to improve in a financially sustainable way. The NCAA will be responsible for overseeing the safety framework within which these important developments occur in Namibia and in addition will be directly involved in providing modern communications, navigation and surveillance infrastructure directly to aviation operators.
According to !Naruseb, the NCAA will operate largely outside Namibia’s budget raising funds for operations from cost-based user charges and fees and have the ability to borrow capital to invest in infrastructure which achieves the target rate of return set by the board.
He said the current government commitment to the directorate of civil aviation which covers all aspects of operations will be restructured so that government will meet its obligations to fund public good services such as safety enforcement while the aviation industry will shoulder the cost of regulation and safety services such as air traffic control and air navigation.
As part of the establishment of the NCAA, the funds accumulated over several years from the industry in the aviation suspense account will be transferred to it.
This is currently around U$221 million. According to the minister, the current market demands and the increasing interest in Namibia creates untapped opportunities for the country as a participant in the global aviation network.
“There are enormous demands on Namibia to be responsive to the fierce competition from airlines. Regulatory authorities too must undergo significant transformational changes to remain relevant,” said !Naruseb.
He said that the aviation industry globally and in Namibia continues to be transformed by technological advances in aircraft and the aids to navigation, consumer appetite for international and domestic travel, rapidly expanding trade and business opportunities.
According to him, nation states like Namibia are well placed to thrive in this environment particularly as government policies are designed to support and advance the role in international aviation.
“However our full participation in the global aviation network requires compliance with the international standards.
Recognition of international obligations through the establishment of the NCAA is good for the economy and the international reputation as a safe and secure business and tourist destination.”
ELLANIE SMIT