Air travellers in East Africa to pay more for safer skies

By John Oyuke

Air passengers in East Africa will pay an additional Sh52 to support aviation safety if East Africa Community ministers approve a new proposal.

The regional Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (Cassoa) has proposed an average surcharge of $0.70 on tickets of all passengers to fund the operations of the agency.

The proposals are contained in Cassoa’s Five Year Strategic Plan from 2010/11 to 2014/15.

Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya have up to March to decide on the proposed levy, which would be reviewed during the mid-year strategic plan.

Unsustainable funding

According to Cassoa directors, the measure is intended to raise the budget of the institution whose current financing strategy, which includes contributions by Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) of partner States, is not sustainable.

Consultants from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently established that the apportioned budget contribution the regional agency gets from CAAs was "unsustainable for the complex structure of Cassoa."

The proposed levy is seen as the most viable mode of funding because it comes directly from the aviation sub-sector itself.

The Cassoa directors also deemed the proposed levy as a fairly reasonable method of raising funds on the grounds that it would be chargeable equitably related to aviation activities in all the Partner States.

An average projected regional growth in the passenger numbers is assumed at 4.7 per cent in Burundi, 6.1 per cent in Kenya, 6.8 per cent in Rwanda, seven per cent in Tanzania and 7.5 per cent in Uganda. The current numbers are extrapolated to reflect this growth.

The agency says they may also seek the funds from other sources as provided by in the Protocol, which include grants from regional and international bodies.

Under the Cassoa Act 2009, the East African partner States are obligated to directly finance its operations, but this is now seen as inadequate to sustain the agency’s operations.

The agency was established in 2007 by EAC partner States to oversee development of effective civil aviation safety and security oversight in the region.