Aviation Minister Stresses Quality Training as Critical to Sector’s Growth

Aviation Minister Stresses Quality Training as Critical to Sector’s Growth

Accra, 29th September 2019 – Opening the Third General Assembly of the Association of African Aviation Training Organizations (AATO) in Accra today, the Minister for Aviation, Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda, emphasized the importance of quality aviation training to the growth of Africa’s aviation industry.
His remarks were delivered in the presence of the Secretary-General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Mr Tefera Mekonnen Tefera, AATO’s President, Ms. Dy Moonsammy, other leaders from the global aviation industry and over 80 delegates from 25 States on the continent.
Drawing attention to AATO’s leadership in providing the standardized and harmonized training that States require to meet the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Mr. Adda underscored that “Africa is today re-emerging from two decades of slumber in the aviation sector.” He explained that while a lot more needed to be done to unlock the numerous benefits that the aviation sector offers, “initiatives such as the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and most recently, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTFA) have the potential effect of revitalizing air transport in Africa and improving air connectivity.”
In the area of partnership, Mr. Adda recognized AATO’s establishment of an Aviation Training Roadmap for the continent, noting that the initiative would outline the human resource requirements of States and enhance efforts aimed at addressing performance issues that are identified through gap analysis.

“I acknowledge that safe, secure, and sustainable aviation development rely on the availability of qualified and competent employees, and supervisors to plan and manage various complex operations in airports, airspaces and aircraft,” he added. “This is why my Ministry is drafting policy documents on a ‘Youth in Aviation Programme’ and an ‘Aviation Sector Human Resource Support Fund’ for consideration by Government.”
In closing, Mr. Adda reminded his audience that the aviation industry has now become a vital growth pole in the social and economic development sphere of the continent in recent times, with air transport supporting the creation of 6.8 million jobs and $72.5 billion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa.

Delivering remarks at the event, Mr. Tefera concurred with Minister Adda, noting that the quality of aviation training facilities remained essential to the sustainability of the industry in Africa. He stressed that the success of the air transport sector depended on adequate training and capacity- building programmes for actors in industry.

“The growth of the industry will be influenced by the pace at which African organizations are able to develop and retain adequate and skilled human resources for enhanced compliance with regulations and standards,” Mr Tefera declared, urging “aviation training institutions to forge partnerships in support of this and related industry priorities.”

The Third General Assembly of AATO was also addressed by the Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Ing. Simon Allotey, who helped delegates to appreciate the important tie-in between States’ levels of ICAO compliance and the benefits that can be realized in terms of socio-economic development.

“Passenger throughput in Africa in 2017 was 92 million, a figure that is expected to reach over 300 million by 2030,” he continued. “This strongly indicates the huge potential that Africa’s air transport market offers”

Ing. Allotey said that the realization of the ideals of SAATM required States to ensure that adequate and qualified aviation professionals were available to manage the aviation sector.

For her part, Ms Moonsammy, said the time had come for Africa’s aviation sector to develop and implement continent-wide measures aimed at attracting young people to the industry, given that air traffic volumes are predicted to double every 15 years.

Held under the theme: “Human Capital Development and Technology: Strategic Tools towards the Single African Air Transport Market,” the Third General Assembly of AATO ended on 30^th September, 2019.

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About GCAA

Created in 1986, GCAA is the regulatory agency for air transport in Ghana. It licenses air transport operations, maintains oversight of aviation safety and security, as well as provides air navigation services within the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR), which comprises the airspace of Ghana and a large area over the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea. It is also responsible for consumer protection and the promotion of the development of Ghana’s air transport sector.

Contacts:

Eric Amaning
Manager, Corporate Communications
eamaning@caa.com.gh
+233-302-776171 x 1253
Twitter: @GhCivilAviation
 

Raymond Bayor
Corporate Communications Officer
rbayor@caa.com.gh
+233-302-776171 x 1254
Twitter: @rybayor
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rybayor/

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Peter Wih-Sika

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