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INSIDE AFRICA
Slater announces 'Safe Skies for Africa' Initiative by Chido Nwangwu (USAfricaonline.com) and Charles W. Corey (USIA Staff Correspondent) in Dakar, Senegal As a part of the overall economic package being unveiled by the United States in its new, widening relationship with the African continent, President Bill Clinton has announced a "Safe Skies for Africa" initiative. He has also announced his administration signed a safe skies agreement with Senegal, where he is today (April 1, 1998) on the final lap of his Africa '98 tour. The key goal of the package is, according to adminstration officials, to improve aviation safety and harmonize U.S.-Africa aviation ties. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, who is travelling on the presidential trip, said the Senegal agreement is the product of several months of work. "What we hope is that over time, once we take care of some of the security and safety issues, that we will be able to liberalize the relationship and move toward an open skies regime" where an open level of flights operate freely between each country. The agreement with Senegal, notes Slater is "consistent with the announcement by the president today of a 'safe skies initiative that will include the entire continent of Africa." This historic continent-wide agreement has three key parts: -- an increase in the number of sub-Saharan African countries that meet international aviation safety standards; -- an improvement in security at 8-12 airports in the region within three years; -- an improvement in regional air navigation services in Africa by using modern satellite-based navigation aids and modern communication technology. Speaking of the continent-wide initiative, Slater said, "What we are hopeful of is actually increasing by four-fold the number of countries on the continent within a period of three years that meet all international safety standards. We currently only have two countries in that category. They are Ghana and South Africa, But what we want to do is to institute an effort over the next three years to increase that number fourfold." Such a move, he said, is "important" to U.S. national security and important as we move to follow through on the President's own version of the African Growth and Opportunity Act [Africa Trade Act] - "which has been the focus of a lot of this trip over the last eleven days." [That act has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and but must also pass in the Senate before being signed into law.] Asked if he sees a closening of aviation ties between the United States and Africa, Slater said "We have a couple of airlines that are really interested" in developing closer links. "Delta is interested in a code-share agreement with a European airline that would bring them into Africa...." "But we also have a number of cargo carrier operations" such as Polar Air, "where they will actually provide direct service to a number of African countries from the United States." Polar Air, he continued, is "hopeful of establishing these activities [routes] during this month -- April. So we are going to see just a steady increase on the part of U.S. airlines." Slater said in October, 1997, nine U.S. airlines were represented in talks sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation in Africa. "So they are looking for options. Some will be code shares. Some may want to start the process of negotiating direct service. We will just have to see what opportunities present themselves." Asked how important good air links are to increased levels of U.S. trade and tourism, Slater said, they are "very important" because "transportation is the tie that binds. "When you are talking about moving beyond the barriers of oceans and great distances, aviation is critical to giving any transportation system an international reach. In order for businesses to enjoy the benefit of having their goods shipped to markets around the world, you have to have a good aviation system to facilitate that. "For these countries on the continent to enjoy the significance that the U.S. market could offer for their tourism industry, you have to have a quality transportation system to give people access to those sites. It is the foundation of any economic system."
Air safety ha s been a major problem and challenge facing African
countries.
Among other implications, it has negatively affected the conduct of
commerce and investments across a majority of countries in the
continent. Back to: Inside Africa Index |