African airlines decry over dominance by big airlines over their airspace

By Apolinari Tairo l eTN Africa

Poaching of pilots and aviation engineers by European and other western airlines, imbalance in aviation business between African airlines and global mega-carriers are likely to kick out the continent’s struggling airlines out of space.

Airlines in Africa are facing a hard time over the rate at which European airlines are dominating African continent airspace at the expense of local airlines, similarly an increased poaching of African pilots and aviation engineers by big global airline companies.

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) raised its concern over the dominance of African airspace by mega-airlines outside the continent, posing a threat to chase out the continent’s struggling airlines from their airspaces.

During its nineteenth African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) conference held in Kenyan capital of Nairobi recently, African airline and aviation experts decried foul over the dominance of foreign airlines over the lucrative African airspace, leaving the continent’s airlines watching.

AFRAA's secretary general Christian Folly-Kossi, said African governments should monitor and regulate the imbalances in aviation business so as to make sure that African operators share the continent’s air space with the invading mega-carriers equally.

"We regret the fact that our ministers responsible for aviation failed to adopt in May this year, an African common position in response to the single airspace concept and external air policy of European Union," Folly-Kossi said. "We urge them to quickly conclude and approve an African position."

Kossi said that the unscrupulous poaching of pilots and traffic controllers from Africa has intensified, adding that, AFRAA will officially write to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to urge these industry organizations to set up rules to control this hemorrhage.

He said the African aviation database is another challenge that needs to be addressed jointly by ICAO and continental aviation groups.

Earlier during the same conference, ICAO secretary general Dr. Taieb Cherif said safety and security remain the main challenge facing development of aviation in Africa. He said there is need to improve safety and bring the accident rate in line with the world average.

While air traffic in Africa accounts for only five percent of the global traffic, accidents from the continent stood at 30 percent of the global accidents recorded last year, he said.

He challenged transport and aviation African ministers to provide political support necessary to improve aviation safety and security.

"Member states of ICAO have a responsibility to implement minimum operating standards, procedures and practices outlined in the Chicago Convention and its Annexes, Assembly Standardization and other prescriptive documents," he said.

"Safety and security audits conducted by ICAO in African states have clearly demonstrated significant shortcomings in implementation of standards and procedures," he added.

He cautioned that an air transport system that is not perceived to be safe and secure by other countries could effectively bar entry into lucrative global markets and stunt economic growth.

The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) said warnings by European Union (EU) members will not be taken lightly if issued without consulting bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) whereby European countries were too eager to block African airlines from flying to the Europe.

“Security is an issue which affects every airline worldwide, not African airlines alone. There are standards set for the airlines to meet by concerned bodies. Now they have come up with environment issues, which we are looking at with the bodies concerned,” said an African aviation official.

He added: "We want African ministers in charge of transport to assist us in this fight. We must unite to reject such discriminating actions."

In the past, various EU nations have blacklisted a number of African airlines, preventing them from landing at their airports. That kind of action, usually taken on claims the airlines have failed in meeting international safety standards, has been disputed and seen as the EU plan to frustrate African airlines from entry into European skies.

The last major ban by the EU was done in March last year where 92 African airlines were blacklisted based on information from the bloc's 25 member nations. Passenger and cargo carriers from Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Swaziland and Liberia were affected.

At that time, EU transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot said that the EU was barring 50 carriers from Congo alone, 14 from Sierra Leone and seven Swaziland, virtually ensuring that all airlines operating from those countries were prevented from flying to Europe.

The conference was told that such actions "will not be allowed to happen to any airline without following proper channels".

The meeting was told that member states and other stakeholders should finalize the preparation of Common African Position on Negotiation of Air Service Agreements with the EU, United States and other third world countries.

Printable Version | published Jul 27, 2007

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