On the sidelines of ongoing International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 74th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Sydney, Australia, the organization has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Airline Association (AAA) to grow their cooperation.
The MoU was signed by IATA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Alexandre de Juniac de Juniac and AFRAA’s Secretary General, Abderahmane Berthé, during the meeting.
Under the MoU, IATA and AFRAA will exchange information, expertise and capabilities, and work jointly to enhance safety by assisting airlines to successfully implement the IATA Operational Safety Audit, the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations and IATA Ground Handling Manual.
A statement posted on IATA website revealed that the new deal will among other things, promote regional air connectivity by working jointly with governments to implement the Single African Air Transport Market as well as encourage data exchange among aviation stakeholders to improve passenger experience and enhance security through capacity building.
IATA further averred that the MoU would also liberate airline funds blocked by governments from repatriation by advising on best practices to clear backlogs, and achieve reasonable levels of taxes and charges by helping governments to focus on the social and economic benefits of the continent’s aviation industry.