ICAO Commence USOAP-CMA on Sierra Leone’s Aviation Safety Systems

by · May 31, 2023

31st May 2023

Ministry of Transport and Aviation, 7th Floor Youyi Building

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has commenced the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) – Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) on Sierra Leone’s Aviation Safety Systems.

ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) focuses on state’s capability in providing safety oversight by assessing whether the State has implemented the critical elements (CEs) of a safety oversight system effectively and consistently. This enables the State to ensure the implementation of ICAO’s safety-related Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and associated procedures and guidance material.

Welcoming the ICAO Delegation, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation Deputy Secretary, Aiah J P Lebbie, expressed that as a Ministry, they are fully ready to support the Audit exercise and called on all services providers to also give their maximum support.

Presenting the outlook of the Civil Aviation Oversight System in Sierra Leone, the SLCAA Director-General, Dr. Moses Tiffa Baio recalled that, the reshaping of the industry started in 1988 when Sierra Leone passed a bill in Parliament that established the Sierra Leone Airports Authority (SLAA) as an Airport and Air Navigation Services (ANS) providers with some regulatory powers.

“Further to the USOAP in 2006, an ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) was subsequently conducted from 29th January to 5th February 2014, which resulted in an updated overall Effective Implementation (EI) of 18. 36%”, Dr. Baio said.

Dr. Baio assured the ICAO Audit Team of Sierra Leone’s commitment during and after the audit. He ended that the SLCAA being the national competent authority for coordinating ICAO and other civil aviation matters will ensure that the audit exercise is conducted seamlessly.

For his part, the ICAO Team Lead, Louis Kweku Opoku, stated that the approach for USOAP audits is based on the implementation of a structured process and methodology for the planning, preparation, conduct, reporting, follow-up, and evaluation of ICAO safety oversight audit, to determine State’s capability for safety oversight.

Representing the Hon. Minister of Transport and Aviation, the Director of Transport, Hindolo Shaka, on behalf of the Minister and the Government of Sierra Leone welcomes the team to Sierra Leone

Director Shaka maintained that the Ministry has been in close collaboration with all stakeholders within the industry during their planning stages, and from what they have seen, they are very much comforted that the outcome of the audit will be very objective and professional.

“As a Ministry, we look forward to the draft report that will be submitted within 90 days after the audit exercise. We want to bring Sierra Leone to the League of Nations in the aviation industry”, Director Shaka ended.

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