Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, Alhaji Fanday Turay and the Minister of Transport and Logistics of Saudi Arabia, Saleh Al-Jasser, have signed a bilateral Air Service Agreement (ASA) to allow the free movements of commercial flights between the two countries.

The milestone signing of the ASA agreement between the two countries at the 15th International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation event (ICAN 2023) in Riyadh, will facilitate free or direct movements of airlines between the two countries for sustainable economic growth.

In his statement during the ceremony, Hon. Fanday Turay defined Sierra Leone as a shining star that has achieved remarkable statures through dedicated efforts and perseverance.

“This sentiment echoes the collective ambition of Sierra Leoneans to forge ahead on the path of development and prosperity,” he said, adding that the ASA Agreement with Saudi Arabia would strengthen trade and connectivity between nationals of the two countries, thereby promoting tourism and socio-economic growth.

“The bilateral agreement between Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia marks a significant stride in fostering international cooperation and connectivity. It not only opens up new avenues for economic and cultural exchanges but also positions Sierra Leone as a beacon of progress in the global arena,” Hon. Turay emphasised.

The Director General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), Madam Musayeroh Barrie, said that the landmark ASA Agreement between Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia was part of fulfilling the commitment to delivering on President Bio’s Big Five Game Changers in achieving sustainable economic growth by 2028.

“The benefits of signing the ASA Agreements with Saudi Arabia in particular is that we can now engage in discussions with the Saudis about the commercial aspects of getting Riyadh Air to fly to Sierra Leone, and to also tap into the strength of their Aviation industry in terms of capacity building, skills transfer placement as well as see what support we can gain from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation,” she said.

The SLCAA Boss also disclosed that she had signed a similar ASA Agreement with Cameroon on Monday, and that she was also looking forward to signing another ASA agreement with the U.K, Italy, as well as Ethiopia, who’s Airlines would effectively start operations in Sierra Leone in March, 2024.

Earlier, in his inaugural address as Chairman of the event, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Saleh Al-Jasser, welcomed the dignitaries to the summit which he said was being hosted for the second time in the Kingdom’s history.

Al-Jasser said Saudi Arabia’s ASA strategy aimed to connect the Kingdom with the rest of the world through a comprehensive, diverse and innovative transport network in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Air Services Negotiations (ICAN 2023) platform.

More than 700 experts and specialists in the aviation industry, along with delegations from more than 100 countries and organizations, are participating at the ICAN 2023 Summit in Riyadh. The summit will end on tomorrow, 7th December, 2023.