The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says Namibia’s aviation safety standards have surpassed regional and global averages with the recent results of periodic safety audits indicating an effective implementation rate of 72.31% in 2024.
The country’s current implementation rate surpasses the regional average of 60% for Eastern and Southern Africa and the global average of 69.3%.
The audits, which evaluate the implementation of eight critical elements essential for aviation safety, were long overdue.
Namibia, as a signatory to the Chicago Convention, last underwent an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 2016 and was represented by the Directorate of Civil Aviation in the Ministry of Works and Transport. At that time, the overall effective implementation rate stood at 57.39%.
“On average, the preliminary results indicate a significant improvement on the effective implementation across the critical elements, with the percentage improving from 57.39% in 2016 to 72.31% in 2024,” NCAA Board Chairperson Bethuel Mujetenga said.
Mujetenga added that other effective implementations that were audited were primary legislation, which scored 86.21%, specific operating regulations at 72.22%, organisation at 81.05%, technical guidance tools at 92.73%, while approvals, certifications, and licensing stand at 72.47%.00000
“We are glad to share with you that Namibia did not attract any significant safety concerns (SSC). An SSC does not necessarily indicate a particular safety deficiency in the air navigation service providers, airline (air operators), aircraft or aerodrome, but rather indicates that the state is not providing sufficient safety oversight to ensure the effective implementation of ICAO standards,” he said.
He also stated that in preparation for the audit, Namibia’s certification process of air navigation services received technical assistance from the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC). Additionally, all audit areas benefited from technical support provided by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Civil Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation in collaboration with AFCAC.
“Similarly, all audit areas received technical assistance from the SADC civil aviation safety oversight organisation in collaboration with AFCAC. Air navigation services were audited in 2016 and with the recent audit it has shown significant improvement from 30.19% in 2016 to 75.21% in 2024,” he said.
Mujetenga however cautioned that while these results reflect substantial progress, there are areas that still require attention.
Surveillance obligations and safety resolutions, for instance, scored at 52.48% and 56.1% respectively, indicating areas for potential enhancement.
