What skills do you need to be a modern aviation leader?

Being an aviation leader requires a combination of technical aviation skills and soft business skills. A strong technical or operational background in aviation coupled with aviation management and business fundamentals are basic needs that a modern aviation leader should possess.

Is it difficult for ANSPs in Africa to attract and retain staff?

It is in the sense that most ANSPs in Africa have less capacity to attract, train and retain staff because of remuneration issues. Many jobs require high levels of competency because of the technical nature of the industry, and most African ANSPs have lost staff with these skills to other organisations – especially in Europe and the Middle East, which can offer better conditions of service. In short, most African ANSPs are struggling to attract and retain staff.

Is there a particular technology that excites you?

In line with the global trends, cost effective technologies like space-based ADS-B excite me because of its capability to offer a reliable, safe and efficient service that does not require any ground-based equipment to operate effectively. It’s also a technology that is environmentally friendly.

How can we improve safety and efficiency across the continent and will the Mombasa ATFM Roadmap help?

The Mombasa ATFM Roadmap outlines the tools needed to establish air traffic flow management in Africa. Safety improvements and efficiency across Africa can only be achieved through the establishment of a seamless and borderless African sky. The Mombasa roadmap will also help to improve safety and efficiency through Airport Collaborative Decision Making (ACD-M). It’s important to share information among all stakeholders to create situational awareness.

Are you confident that initiatives, such as the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), will improve regional coordination?

I am confident that SAATM is the flagship through which regional coordination will be achieved in Africa. SAATM will ensure aviation plays a major role in connecting Africa and will help support the continent’s social, economic and political integration and boost intra-Africa trade and tourism.

African nations and airlines should fully embrace SAATM for the benefit of Africa, its people and its airlines and allow them to reach their full potential. Eventually, the improved regional coordination will facilitate competition and lower air transport costs and therefore make air travel cheaper.

As an Air Navigation Service Provider, ZACL is committed to providing an enabling environment for the operationalisation of SAATM. We have recently upgraded our flight procedures for airlines to access our airports in a safe and sustainable manner, for example. And we are working on a route development strategy that supports the implementation of free route airspace (FRA).

As always, ZACL stands ready to collaborate with other aviation stakeholders to find lasting solutions to African aviation challenges.

Is being sustainable important to ZACL or do you have other priorities?

Sustainability is extremely important to the entire aviation industry and ZACL is no exception.

Sustainability speaks to financial resilience as well as aviation activities that have a direct impact on the environment. With the onset of the pandemic and the devastating effects it had on the operations of ZACL, our focus going forward therefore is to operate in a truly sustainable manner to regain financial strength and rebuild organisational efficiency.

Operationally, we will invest in renewable energy sources and replace energy-inefficient equipment.

What is your strategy to improve air traffic services in Zambia?

The provision of air traffic services in Zambia has basically transitioned from non-automated systems to semi-automated systems. But, in some instances, we are still relying on manually operated procedures, which causes constraints in airspace capacity and other deliverables.

We have a robust air traffic management (ATM) master plan to further streamline our services. The strategy is to have a fully automated system that will deliver responsive air traffic services to meet the needs of future airspace users.

We are fully aware of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) No Country Left Behind initiative, and, in that vein, ZACL is strategically positioning to effectively collaborate with other stakeholders in the implementation of the Complete Air Traffic System (CATS), an initiative to make sure that future skies are efficient, clean and safe.

We have already achieved some significant milestones like transitioning from the Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) to the Aeronautical Information Management Handling System (AMHS), which enables the publication of electronic aeronautical information publications (e-AIP) rather than paper-based AIP.

And the installation of terminal surveillance systems at two of our four international airports saw the enhancement of airspace capacity, efficiency and improved safety.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) is also being introduced at another international airport, which means that more than half the country will be under a surveillance system. We are also in talks with ADS-B service providers to extend surveillance to the rest of Zambian airspace to cater for enroute traffic.  

Lastly, ZACL believes in the fact that trained human capital is an enabler of any efficient service provision. So, to improve air traffic services in Zambia, ZACL has embarked on an ambitious training programme for its staff as a way of improving skills and building internal capacity.