West Africa: Airport Safety to Give Wings to Suppliers

A $33,5m project to enhance airport safety and security in four West African countries will provide a spread of export opportunities to suppliers into the air transport sector over the months to come.

To be implemented at a national level within the four participating countries -- Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Cameroon -- the West and Central Africa Air Transport Safety and Security Project will seek to improve civil aviation authorities' compliance with safety and security standards as stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The project is largely motivated by the Yamoussoukro Declaration -- an agreement signed in 1999 which aims to create a conducive environment for the development of intra-African and international air services. The declaration requires civil aviation and airport authorities to collectively attain ICAO standards.

Air services in Africa, and especially in West and Central Africa, are widely regarded as inefficient, unreliable and overpriced. Airfares in West and Central Africa are considered up to 50% higher than world averages, while airport landing fees and air navigation charges in the region are significantly more expensive than elsewhere.

According to a World Bank report, less than six countries out of 23 in West and Central Africa are considered to have the required level of civil aviation administration capacities. The report says the current situation has resulted in the presence of "junk companies", whose operations distort the air transport market, prevent access to the world market for local African airlines and contribute to high accident rates.

ICAO statistics reveal that the air transport accident rate within the West and Central Africa region is about 30 times higher than that of the US.

Of the $33,57m to be invested in the project, $23,2m will be spent on improvements in airport security and safety standards. This will involve establishing appropriate aviation security legislation, devising security programmes for both airports and airlines, installing modern security equipment such as screening equipment for passengers, luggage and cargo at international airports, replacing navigational aids and beefing up capacity within institutions charged with the management and control of airport assets.

Consulting firms will be invited to bid for various assignments within the four countries, including:

• Technical studies and works supervision for the construction of crisis centres in both Burkina Faso and Cameroon;
• An airport runway and apron rehabilitation study for Douala International Airport in Cameroon;
• Studies for airport fence rehabilitation, including works supervision in Cameroon; and
• Technical studies for navigational aids improvement in Guinea.

The value of air transport in the region is estimated at between $4bn and $5bn, of which 60% is for traffic to and from Europe.

It is hoped that implementation of the project will increase inter-state and domestic traffic, which represents about 15% and 8% respectively, and bring about the emergence of new carriers that may operate smaller aircraft, and offer higher frequencies and schedules better suited to demand.

Business Day