THE MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, AT THE COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION DAY

7 DECEMBER 2000

GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMAN;
COLLEAGUES FROM THE AVIATION COMMUNITY;
CHAIRPERSONS OF OUR AVIATION BOARDS;
CEO's OF THE INDUSTRY;
HONOURED DELEGATES AND GUESTS;
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA,

IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THIS PRESS CONFERENCE WHICH MARKS THE COMMEMORATION OF THE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION DAY.

WHILE GLOBAL AIR TRANSPORT IS NOW SAFER THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN, THE RECENT CRASHES ON OUR DOMESTIC CHARTER AIRLINES AND INTERNATIONALLY THE CONCORD AND THE SINGAPORE AIRLINE ACCIDENT, HAS PROVED TO ALL STATES, WHETHER DEVELOPED OR DEVELOPING, TO REMAIN VIGILANT ON MAINTAINING AVIATION SAFETY.

AIR TRANSPORT IS CONTINUALLY ON THE INCREASE, AND AN ESTIMATED 1.8 BILLION PASSENGERS ANNUALLY WILL BE TRAVELLING WORLDWIDE BY 2001.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FACING THE CIVIL AVIATION COMMUNITY IS GLOBALISATION, WHICH REQUIRES A HIGH DEGREE OF UNIFORMITY OF SAFETY STANDARDS AND PRACTICES AS FRAGMENTATION WILL HAMPER THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRULY GLOBAL AVIATION INDUSTRY. FOR SOUTH AFRICA, AND PARTICULARLY AFRICA THIS HAS TO BE DONE TAKING GOOD CONSIDERATION OF THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE OR SCOPE AND THE AILING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. THUS IN THE QUEST FOR STANDARDISATION, THE PURSUIT MUST ALSO BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR GOALS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT UNIVERSAL SAFETY STANDARDS, ICAO NEEDS TO TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE OF FACILITATING THE DEVELOPING WORLD's ACCESS TO RESOURCES. I ALSO PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT DEVELOPING NATIONS HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN BOTH CHANGING THE FACE OF ICAO AND INFORMING POSITIONS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE.

WE NEED TO FUNDAMENTALLY RELOOK INTO THE INSTITUTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, TO THE EXTENT WHERE THE DEVELOPING WORLD's INTERESTS ARE CAPTURED IN THEM. WE NEED TO ENSURE OUR CONSTRUCTIVE PARTICIPATION IN ALL ICAO , REGIONAL (SADC) AND CONTINENTAL FORA AND USE THESE OPPORTUNITIES EFFECTIVELY.

THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES FACING THE INTERNATIONAL AND OUR OWN SOUTH AFRICAN AVIATION INDUSTRIES TO ASCERTAIN THAT THEY ARE BOTH SAFE AND EFFICIENT. FOR EXAMPLE, JUST TO MENTION A FEW:

• CONTINUED CO-OPERATION IN THE AREA OF COMMUNICATION, NAVIGATION, SURVEILLANCE, AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT (CNS/ATM). I AM PLEASE TO REPORT THAT SADC HAS RECENTLY APPROVED THE FUNDING OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AS A PARTNERSHIP IN THE IMPLEMENTING OF CNS/ATMSTEMS IN THE REGION AND IN AFRICA.
• THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES CONTINUE TO GENERATE DEBATE. AS A DEVELOPING NATION, WE NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE DEBATES TO ENSURE THAT AFRICAS ‘INTERESTS AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. WE ALSO AIM TO FIND A BALANCED APPROACH TO DEALTH THE ISSUE OF AIRCRAFT NOISE, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS IN THE VICINITY OF AIRPORTS.

SOUTH AFRICA WAS ASSESSED BY ICAO AND IT WAS FOUND THAT WITH PARTIAL PRIVATISATION OF THE AIRPORTS COMPANY OF SOUTH AFRICA (ACSA), THE CORPORATISATION OF THE AIR TRAFFIC AND NAVIGATION SERVICES COMPANY (ATNS), AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (SACAA), THESE SIGNIFICANT STEPS TAKEN HAVE TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED OUR COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL SAFETY STANDARDS.

THESE THREE AUTONOMOUS AGENCIES HAVE ENSURED THAT SOUTH AFRICA'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS ARE FULFILLED. THEY ALSO OPERATE WITH A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING A BETTER SERVICE TO THE AVIATION COMMUNITY, AND HENCE MORE CUSTOMER ORIENTATED.

UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT, THE SACAA, ATNS AND ACSA HAVE FULLY ESTABLISHED PROCESSES, SYSTEMS AND STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT, THIS INVESTMENT AIMED TO REINSTATE THAT CONFIDENCE BACK INTO THE PUBLIC AND THE INDUSTRY IN THE SERVICE STANDARDS AND THE REGULATION OF STANDARDS.

BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, CHAIRPERSONS OF SACAA AND ATNS TOGETHER WITH THEIR CEO's AND THAT OF ACSA ARE HERE WITH US. THEY WILL SHARE WITH US SOME OF THEIR WORK AND YOU WILL AFFORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH THEM BY ASKING QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU