Seminar for West and Central Africa Air Transport Harmonisation Kicks off

A week-long seminar organised by the set committee of the West and Central Africa air transport economic and technical regulations in the region commenced on the 21st of October, 2008 in Banjul. This meeting of the Economic Community of West Africa in conjunction with stakeholders in air transport sector is expected to review air transport and economic regulations for its member states, the EU and UN partners.

In his keynote address, the permanent secretary for works, construction and infrastructure, on behalf of the Secretary of State Mr. Bakary Houma, informed the participants that the third meeting of council of aviation ministers for the implementation of the Yamoussoukro decision, held in Libreville, Gabon on the 2nd of December 2004, has approved three common regulations. The relate to denied boarding compensation, slot allocation and ground handling.

Mr. Houma further stated that The Gambia, like other member states of the above MOU, has already integrated these three common regulations in the national legislation.

Mr. Houma noted that, the approval of these draft texts shall contribute to notable progress in free grant of tariff rights and air links between states, to remove all the bottlenecks to the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision and to establish a common air transport market in West and Central Africa.

For his part, the director general of civil aviation, Mr. Nfansu Bojang, reminded the forum of the urgent need for the committee to tighten their belts even in their drive to open the African skies and make air access as widely accessible as possible to our citizens and those visitors and investors wishing to travel to and within the continent.