Namibia opens airport security books to ICAO auditors

WINDHOEK – Minister of Works and Transport John Mutorwa yesterday officially welcomed the team from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which arrived in the country to conduct a universal security audit on the country’s airports.

The audit, which has had the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) and the tourism sector on edge in recent months, is the first to be conducted after ICAO amended its rules.

“We are credibly informed that Namibia is the first country to be audited under Amendment 16 to Annex 17 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and as a result of the aforementioned becomes the first country to be audited using the new amendments,” Mutorwa noted at the event. 

Mutorwa added that government is aware that the ICAO audit will ultimately help the country to identify shortcomings, if any, in the overall aviation security performance system. 

“It is also our view that the audit will provide recommendations which will assist us in addressing such deficiencies or shortcomings. Feel free to conduct all the audit processes that have to be audited. Again, I repeat, we take this audit as a learning curve; as an exercise to build and not to destroy. 

We remain positive that the audit will and must help us to improve our aviation systems in the best interest of our nation and the world at large,” Mutorwa told the gathering.    

The team from ICAO to conduct the security audit is comprised of team leader Aurelien Lavayssiere (France), who is accompanied by Anne Egbadon (Nigeria), Jabulani Khuluse (South Africa) and Mario Jenni (Switzerland). 

According to Lavayssiere, the aim of the audit is well understood by Namibia. 

“We are here to investigate the areas that need improvement and to note where the state will need to do continuous work. We are not here for Hosea Kutako International Airport only but we are here to look at the oversight ability of the state involving all airports in the country,” said Lavayssiere. 

At a recent media briefing, the NAC remained adamant that Hosea Kutako International Airport’s shortcomings will be addressed before the scheduled audit that kicked off yesterday and is scheduled for completion by November 28. 

“We remain confident that issues, related to airport operations, will be addressed in time thanks to all stakeholders that are contributing to addressing these issues and that their continued support will make sure we attain our objective as a nation,” said NAC spokesperson Dan Kamati. 

According to ICAO’s website, the organisation employs a Universal Security Audit Programme Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA). The objective of the USAP-CMA is to promote global aviation security through continuous auditing and monitoring of member states’ aviation security performance, in order to enhance their aviation security compliance and oversight capabilities. This is done by regularly and continuously obtaining and analysing data on Member States’ aviation security performance, including the level of implementation of the critical elements of an aviation security oversight system and the degree of compliance with international standards.