Gabon

1) What have been your achievements in CAA and aviation in your country in 2022 ?

Since I assumed position as Director General of the National Civil Aviation Authority of Gabon on December 2, 2020, the CAA has succeeded in meeting several challenges, in particular:

– The evaluation by ICAO of our safety oversight system, from April 26 to May 6, 2021. The evaluation results were most encouraging and showed an improvement in our safety score, with an implementation rate of 60.14% in 2021 as to 44% in 2017 and 10.71% in 2010. We intend to streamline our efforts to ensure that Gabon’s civil aviation system is ranked among the best, as we aim for an 80% compliance level in the area of security at the next audit scheduled for 2024.

– The issuance on May 8, 2021, of the aerodrome certificate to the GSEZ, the company managing the Leon MBA International Airport in Libreville, in accordance with the stipulated regulatory provisions making it the first certified airport in Central Africa.

The issuance of four (04) Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) to new operators, including three (03) for helicopter and one (01) for commercial jet services. It is to be emphasized that this was the first time in the history of the CAA to deliver an AOC to economic operators using helicopters as commercial transport. To this end, we wish to commend the support of experts from France and Tunisia, who accompanied us in the venture. Our vision for the CAA is to make it “a safe and professional civil aviation authority, a catalyst for the development of air transport” in Gabon and in Africa, as a whole.

It is in this spirit that ANAC has undertaken, since December 2021, an approach based on the improvement on the recommendations of the international standard of quality management systems (QMS), ISO 9001:2015, with a view to becoming certified in 2023.

At the end of the red or danger zone of “2019-2021” following the rage of the COVID 19 pandemic, year 2022 was for us, a year of recovery, marked by significant improvement in the quality of our activities in the air transport sector in Gabon after the total lifting of the restrictive measures.

Notwithstanding this modest take off, ANAC has been able to achieve 95% of the activities planned for 2022, within the framework of the continuous monitoring operators of the aviation sector.

2) What are your challenges and how can AFCAC assist you?

We have major projects in the pipeline, including the continued implementation of the corrective action plan following the ICAO verification mission (ICVM) to address the identified safety deficiencies before the next ICAO audit. We also intend to update Search and Rescue (SAR) services. In the area of airports, we aim to pursue the certification of two (02) international airfields located in the interior of the country.

Personnel qualification and training are also part of our priorities (Critical Element – EC4), because, as mentioned previously, our goal is to attain the 80% safety and security compliance rate in the upcoming audits.

In the same vein, we wish to finalize the National Aviation Safety Plan (NASP), especially in its action plan component and proceed with its implementation.

The other challenge remains that of the implementation of the National Security Programme (NSP) this year and an effective civil-military cooperation arrangement for air traffic management.

ANAC wishes to reiterate its sincere congratulations to Mrs. Adefunke ADEYEMI for her election to the office of Secretary General of AFCAC. The CAA has always maintained good cooperation with AFCAC and therefore request the continuation of support for the achievement of the Abuja security targets and the Windhoek targets for aviation security and facilitation. Also, AFCAC’s support is important in priority projects such as capacity building of our civil aviation personnel, in partnership with other entities, as well in as in the provision of technical assistance.

3) Your commitment to SAATM: how are you going to proceed with the implementation?

Gabon is committed to the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) and has therefore guaranteed full access to all destinations in Gabon to all State Parties to the YD, in accordance with the dictates of the YD and subject to reciprocity.

4) What can you say about SAATM PIP?

On the occasion of the 23rd Anniversary of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD), 35 member states

States made a solemn commitment to fully implement the YD and SAATM. Twenty-three (23) States, including Gabon, signed the MoU on its unconditional operationalization.

SAATM will improve air service performance levels and greatly stimulate competition between airlines. This in turn will result in a more competitive airfare structure, stimulate additional traffic flow, promote trade, investments and other economic in all sectors of the economy and will lead to increased productivity, economic growth and employment, resulting in significant contribution to African integration.

Gabon has embarked on the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) by aligning its air service agreements in accordance with the YD. Gabon has also signed the MoU and has just entered the PIP by adhering to all the implementation initiatives.