25 September 2008
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) ranks Namibia among some of the world's most unsafe airspaces due to the absence of relevant civil aviation legislation and shortage of qualified personnel.
Although independent from colonial rule for more than 18 years, Namibia still uses the South African Civil Aviation legislation of 1964 and the Amended Air Services Act of 1947.
The two pieces of legislation are considered outdated and there is an urgency for Namibia to promulgate its own civil aviation legislation, which would guide the working of the Civil Aviation Directorate and subsequently haul the country out of the low standard classification.
Works and Transport Minister Helmut Angula told the National Assembly on Tuesday that this situation could lead to the country's blacklisting if little political commitment is given towards the passing the relevant legislation.
"The lack of a comprehensive and effective aviation primary and secondary legislation consistent with the environment and complexity of civil aviation related activities since Independence is compromising Namibia's membership to ICAO," said Angula.
He warned that the review has a serious impact on government and the country's civil aviation industry as it compromises the ability to ensure compliance in technical areas such as personnel licensing and training, the airworthiness of aircraft and aircraft accident investigation.
"These areas are crucial indicators of any country's ability to ensure the safety and regularity of aircraft operations worldwide.
The integrity of our national airspace will remain questionable as long as these critical elements are not addressed," said Angula.
He said the Ministry of Works is currently working towards the tabling of a proposed legislation on the Civil Aviation Authority.
The ministry has also invited experts from Icao to thoroughly assess aircraft operations of all certified flight operators, licensed personnel and identify shortcomings in the physical infrastructure.
Nampa
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Namibian. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
