Phiwa Sikhondze
The Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority (ESWACAA) is recommitting its contribution towards supporting the country’s efforts to reach economic heights by maintaining a safe and innovative aviation industry.
This year in commemorating the Civil Aviation Day, celebrated on the 7th of December worldwide, ESWACAA will join aviation operators and industry stakeholders across the globe in honouring this annual observance.
The day is meant to raise awareness of the crucial role international civil aviation plays in the social and economic development of nations and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s role in coordinating international cooperation of aviation matters and shaping the landscape of international air transport. The commemoration will also serve to recognize the pivotal role played by civil aviation in stimulating social and economic development in the country.
This year’s theme, as declared by the ICAO is “Shaping the Skies of Tomorrow: Addressing Key Issues and Technologies in Air Navigation and Safety.” As a day dedicated to reflecting on decades of progress in aviation safety and global cooperation, ESWACAA is honouring the significant strides that have been taken in developing the country’s aviation industry, while magnifying existing opportunities for innovation and industry growth.
ESWACAA’s Director General, Andile Mtetwa-Amaeshi singled out the country’s cargo potential as an opportunity for growth worth leveraging. She explained that with Eswatini being landlocked, air transport is and remains the most ideal mode to enter and exit the country with minimum delays.
Mtetwa-Amaeshi further highlighted the time-sensitive nature of air transport in accommodating urgent cargo/freight as a favourable option for transporting high-perishable agricultural produce, circumventing the effects of socio-political instabilities and several similar inconveniences that may result in poor customer service to various markets.
“For the International Civil Aviation Day, ESWACAA is mindful that, with Eswatini being a landlocked country, the aviation industry is a critical sector within the country’s value chain. This is due to its proven ability to galvanise lucrative activities in tourism, trade, commerce and agriculture,” the Director General explained.
The Director General went on to reiterate ESWACAA’s commitment to ensuring that air transport continued to be a viable option for the transportation of goods. She mentioned that the Authority had taken remarkable strides in developing the industry and ensuring that it remained an accredited airspace that complies with international aviation standards.
“From a regulatory point of view, the Air Transport, Safety, Aviation Security Regulatory Services of ESWACAA are fully committed and stand ready to ensure regularity and ease of implementation of options for industries to move goods by air,” Mtetwa-Amaeshi assured.
To demonstrate this, she pointed out that the King Mswati III International Airport was certified according to the applicable Regulations and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). She also mentioned that the airport had runway, taxiways and infrastructure with enough capacity to transport cargo to various destinations in and around the continent.
In emphasis on the need to consider air cargo as an opportunity for the country’s economic growth, the Director General further expressed the need to transform the perception of aircrafts as a mode of transportation that is exclusively suitable for human travellers.
“Since 1917, aircrafts in Eswatini have been known and mostly used as a transportation mode only for human passengers. Even now, it is still perceived as an option tailored to the elite population. This is yet another perception that needs to be changed,” Mtetwa-Amaeshi said.