Zambia: The Deputy Zambia Air Force Commander and Chief of Air Staff, Maj General Oscar Nyoni, has urged Civil and Military Air Traffic Management (ATM) experts in the Africa-Indian (AFI) Ocean region to develop strategic guidelines that will enhance efficient Civil/Military cooperation and coordination in ATM.
Maj General Nyoni said airspace users depend on the efficiency of Civil/Military experts for their safety and security as they undertake various economic activities that demand the use of aviation services.
He was speaking when he officiated at the opening ceremony of the inaugural physical workshop on African-Indian Ocean Inter-regional Civil/Military Cooperation in Air Traffic Management held in Lusaka on 08 August 2023.
The workshop, which has attracted participants from over Fifteen (15) African countries, will end on 11 August 2023.
Speaking at the same event, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) East and Southern Africa (ESAF) Regional Office Director Lucy Mbugua thanked the Zambian Government for championing Civil/Military cooperation in the aviation sector.
“The fact that you are willing to partner with ICAO to foster the development of air navigation to achieve the first two ICAO strategic objectives of Aviation Safety and Air Navigation capacity and efficiency cannot be overlooked,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General Mulonda Mulonda disclosed that the Zambian Civil sector has been working closely with the military.
Mulonda added that through research and development, the Zambia Air Force, in collaboration with the CAA, established an online airspace clearance platform that simplified the application process for airspace clearance.
The AFI workshop, which was organised by the Zambia Air Force, Civil Aviation Authority, and Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, will be facilitated by ICAO, IATA and Eurocontrol. Key Airlines such as KLM, Air France, and Delta Airlines also participate in the workshop.