EAST African Community (EAC) partner states have been urged to continuously respond to emerging challenges to cope with aviation and non-aviation demands as well as strive to meet international standards.

Speaking at EAC consultative meeting on air transport facilitation here recently, Principal Air Transport Officer with Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), Benjamin Enyenze reminded the forum participants of the key role that air transport plays in promotion of trade, tourism and economic growth in the region.

“Air transport facilitation is important aspect of aviation and the EAC airports have to continuously enhance capacity of existing infrastructure to ably cope with future aviation demands, meet international requirements and contend with ever changing threats against civil aviation,” he argued.

The aviation expert underscored the importance of EAC Air Transport facilitation forum in ensuring smooth movement of passengers, goods and aircrafts at all EAC international airports.

The two-day forum was attended by representatives from ministries, departments and agencies, civil aviation and airport authorities, airlines, customs, immigration and other stakeholders from all the EAC partner states.

Among other things, the regional consultative meeting delved on issues that affect air transport in the region to comply with Annex 9 (Air Transport Facilitation) and Annex 17 (Aviation Security) of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

During the forum, the participants also suggested areas of improvements at the airport including, among others, the need to screen imported goods at the cargo terminals for security reasons, to put in place quarantine area for contaminated animals and ensure uniformity of application of disembarkation cards on immigration at arrival.

The meeting further discussed and approved among other recommendations, to ensure continuous improvement of clearance processes at the EAC international airports, to introduce online payment systems for all air operators, to fully implement paperless immigration process, to share information on people involved in pilferage at EAC airports for monitoring purpose and to increase their non-aeronautical revenue streams to reach a 30:70 ratio by 2020.

Source: Daily News

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