The 23rd African Indian Ocean Satellite Network (AFISNET) Management Committee meeting has opened in Accra.
The five-day meeting is being attended by delegates from countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
Mr Fifi Kwetey, the Minister of Transport, who opened the meeting, said the establishment of the Network, demonstrated the principles of cooperation and brotherliness as enshrined in the charter of ECOWAS and the African Union.
“The establishment of this Network is one of the achievements we as Africans can boast of,” he said, adding “the Network has brought together people of various nationalities to collaborate and ensure that the African airspace becomes one of the safest in the world.”
Mr Kwetey expressed satisfaction with the fact that the meeting had invited specialist companies and vendors of satellite communications technology and services to deliberate on issues”and find common solutions to the problems confronting you as a body”.
He urged participants to come out with what would best serve both global and African needs.
“Note should be taken of the fact that we want to build and sustain a regional airspace that would be one of the safest in the world, one that would be the pride of Africa and the envy of the world,” said the Minister.
Mr Kwetey said it was necessary for participants to deliberate and come up with new ideas on the training of engineers and technicians, since they were the ones who operated installed equipment.
He mentioned the New Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy, the New Passenger Terminal three (3) at the Kotoka International Airport which has a passenger throughput of five million passengers a year; the upgrade and extension of the runway at the Tamale airport with the provision of a new apron to accommodate code E and F aircraft; as well as the construction of a new airport at Ho, as vivid proof, that Ghana continues to improve upon its aviation infrastructure.
“On behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, I welcome you all to Ghana,” the Minister said.
Mr Simon Allotey, Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said air traffic control and air space safety, depended on numerous radio communication, navigational aids, surveillance systems, as well as engineers, and technicians who manage, operate and maintain the equipment.
He said maintaining radio contact with aircraft flying over “the vast expanse of the ocean and the deserts of Africa” was a challenging experience.
Mr Allotey said the establishment of AFISNET in 1993 with the support of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the European Union, has been timely.
“Apart from its use for extended range VHF, it is employed mainly for point to point voice and data communication between adjacent Air Traffic Control Centers.”
He said the network has greatly enhanced the dissemination of flight-related data within the Western and Central African sub-region, for which it was originally designed and had now been expanded further across the continent, “reaching Madagascar and even further”.
Mr Allotey said the fact that since the technical and financial support agreement with the European Union expired in 2002, civil aviation administrations have been left on their own to maintain their equipment and also source funding for their maintenance.
“Our engineers and technicians here in GCAA and those in your countries, have been able to stand the test and demonstrated great technical ability in maintaining the aging and somewhat obsolete systems. On behalf of all present here, I congratulate you on this achievement,” he said.
The GCAA Director General said to the participants, “it gives me great satisfaction that you have always maintained close ties among yourselves, and have collaborated in several areas to ensure that AFISNET is sustained.”
He said there was the need to align AFISNET’s engineering strategy with ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan, to enhance air navigation capacity and efficiency, in the implementation of the Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU).
Mr Allotey said the meeting came at a time when the aviation fraternity was looking to Africa to address various deficiencies in the provision of air navigation services.
“Your effective collaboration and unity of purpose will send a signal to the rest of the world that Africa can stand on its own,” he said.
The conference ends on February 15th, 2016.
Source: GNA
