Minister of Transport and Aviation, Hon Kabineh Kallon, together with the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Moses Tiffa Baio, has embarked on an inspection tour to assess Sierra Leone’s preparedness ahead of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) – Continuous Monitory Approach (CMA) scheduled on 31st May 2023 to 12th June 2023.

During the tour, the Honourable Minister and the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) inspected the Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (RFFS), the Meteorological Department, and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower of the Freetown International Airport (FNA) to evaluate their response to emergencies.

It could be noted that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last conducted a Safety Oversight Audit for Sierra Leone in 2006. The current aviation safety rating for Sierra Leone is below 20%.

The Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) an ICAO activity aimed at assessing State’s capability in providing safety oversight by assessing whether the State has implemented the Critical Elements (CEs) of a safety oversight system effectively and consistently.

USOAP enables the State to ensure the implementation of ICAO’s safety-related Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and associated procedures and guidance material, providing ICAO with a means to monitor continuously the States’ fulfilment of their safety oversight obligations.