By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their commitment in developing, implementing, and constantly improving strategies on engagement systems and processes to ensure that all their aviation and non-aviation activities take place under an appropriate allocation of organizational resources, the three Ministers responsible for Aviation in the Members States of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone under the Roberts Flight Information Region has on Thursday 1st April, 2021 signed the Revised Aeronautical Accord. The signing ceremony took place during their Ordinary Technical Committee & Ministerial Council Meetings held at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Aberdeen in Freetown.
The three countries are part of the Roberts Flight Information Region, which is a tripartite organization responsible for the control and safety of air navigation in the combined upper airspace of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with a total size of 770,777KM2.
In his address, Minister of State in charge of Transport in Guinea, Hon. Mohamed Keita noted that in the spirit of the Chicago Convention of 1944 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Roberts FIR was established on Aeronautical Cooperation on the 17th January 1975, which was originally signed by the then Heads of States, H.E. President Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea, H.E. President William R. Tolbert of Liberia and H.E. President Siaka Stevens of Sierra Leone, to provide expeditious air navigation services and ensure air traffic safety, efficiency and regularity in the combined airspace of the three Member States.
He stated that the year under review has been a very tough year for them due to the outbreak of COVID-19 but extended appreciation to Hon. Kabineh Kallon, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation for his great leadership as Chairman of the Ministerial Council.
The Minister of Transport of Liberia, Hon. Samuel A. WIue, also noted that 2020 has been very tough year for them, as an organization, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic further stating that during the period flights were put on hold and such seriously affected their operations.
He said that the Technical Committee and the Ministerial Council meet during the annual Governance Meetings respectively and during the Technical Committee Meeting the Secretariat gives annual reports on it activities for each given year of which the Ministers ratify the decisions and recommendations emanating from the Technical Committee Meeting for that year and that the venue for these meetings rotates among the three Member States.
The Minister of Transport and Aviation of Sierra Leone, Hon. Kabineh Kallon, who was the Chairman of the Ministerial Council, expressed appreciation to the entire team for supporting him during his tenure as chairman of the Ministerial Council.
He noted that the signing of the Revised Aeronautical Accord is very important as it reaffirms their commitment as member States, adding that they found out that the former Aeronautical Accord has some lapses which they decided to look into in order to fit in the 21st century especially in the aviation industry.
Kabineh Kallon added that the Technical Committee which comprises the Director Generals of the Civil Aviation Authorities of the Member States looked at it and they sent the draft to the member States and they sent back their feedbacks, adding that have deliberated on them for which they have signed.
The event was climaxed by the signing of the Revised Aeronautical Accord by the three Ministers responsible for Aviation in the Members States of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone followed by the handing over of the Chairmanship of the Ministerial Council by Hon. Kabineh Kallon Minister of Transport and Aviation of Sierra Leone to Hon Mohamed Keita Minister of State in charge of Transport in Guinea.
