Rwandan CAA to partner with IATA to improve aviation safety

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner for the improvement of aviation safety. Under the MoU, the parties will work together to establish a framework for using the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) to complement Rwanda’s safety oversight.

Silas Udahemuka, Director General CAA of Rwanda, said: “Rwanda’s CAA is committed to improving African aviation safety. Our partnership with IATA will help us to do that by taking greater advantage of IOSA in our safety oversight programme.”

The Abuja Declaration (2015) committed African governments to establish a framework for recognition of IOSA and for all African airlines to obtain IOSA registration by 2020.

Rwanda, when this MoU is implemented, will be the second African state (after Zimbabwe) to fulfil this commitment. IOSA was established in 2003 to be the global benchmark for airline operational safety management. There are some 440 airlines are on the IOSA registry of which some 290 are IATA members.

IATA members are required to maintain their IOSA registration. Carriers on the IOSA registry consistently perform better on safety. In 2017, the all accident rate for airlines on the IOSA registry was nearly four times better than that of non-IOSA airlines (0.56 vs. 2.17 accidents per million flights) and it was nearly three times better over the 2012-16 period.

This trend carries through to Africa where the 34 African airlines with an IOSA registration delivered safety performance more than three times better than African carriers not on the registry.

Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East, said: “Safety is the top priority for everyone involved in aviation. Congratulations to the Rwanda CAA for their decision to complement their safety oversight with IOSA. We look forward to working with the Government of Rwanda to turn the words of this MoU into actions that will further improve aviation safety. And we hope that our work together will be an inspiration to other African governments to take similar action in fulfilling their Abuja Declaration commitments.”