(Posted 14th September 2023)
Airbus today entered a partnership with AviAssist, the leading aviation safety promotion organization in Africa. Airbus forecasts a growth rate of 4% per year for Africa’s air transport. This highlights the importance of continued investment in safety performance improvements.
“The number one priority of Airbus is safety: a safe aircraft, safely operated in a safe air transport system. ” Airbus director for international safety programs Hugues Laloë commented. “Africa’s aviation industry is growing. That growth requires lots of well-trained, motivated new aviators in different domains such as maintenance or flight operations. This partnership underlines our commitment to support developing the safety competencies that these aviators need to foster a strong safety culture. Working with AviAssist gives us access to an effective way of promoting safety in the region”.
“We are thrilled to include Airbus and Airbus’ expertise in our work in Africa”, added Tom Kok, Director of AviAssist. “Airbus invests in current and second century aviation safety talent to help grow the continent’s aviation industry with this partnership. We are keen to work with Airbus towards equipping every African aviation professional with safety promotion skills to help meet future industry needs. The partnership will assist the Foundation in bringing our customers the best possible safety promotion experience”.
Safety promotion will partially be channeled through AviAssist Safety Promotion Centres (ASPCs). ASPCs provide training, learning and research resources to safety champions in Africa and connect research with policymakers and safety professionals. The first ASPC is based at the University of Rwanda. The partnership will support the Foundation’s trainee program at the ASPC-Rwanda. The partnership will also assist in the production of the fourth season of the Focus Sessions, Africa’s free online continuous professional development channel for safety.
