Minister of Transport and Aviation in Montreal, Canada for 38th General Assembly Meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, Leonard Balogun Koroma on Sunday 22^nd September arrived in Montreal, Canada, as Head of a 10 man delegation, from Sierra Leone, to the 38th General Assembly meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization)

The International Civil Aviation Organization is a United Nations’ Agency, with 191 member states. It systematically arranges the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters planning and development of international air transport.

The General Assembly convenes once every 3 years. However, as a result of the growing global importance of aviation, there are moves by some member countries to change that to once every 2 years.

This year’s meeting will set the stage for World Aviation for years to come and generate the economic conditions that are needed for this vital global industry to grow. The Aviation industry is growing in Europe, the Americas and Asia, but not in Africa. Also to be discussed in this year’s meeting will be efforts to tackle many challenges facing the sector, such as ; Aviation safety, Aviation security, Air navigation, fair global competition and market access, and the environment .

Environmental issues will dominate this year’s meeting, such as how to curb emissions and at the same time achieve sustainable aviation growth is a hot button issue. An agreement in this direction is long overdue and the world is expecting an agreement on aviation and the environment.

Speaking from Canada on the phone, Minister of Transport and Aviation, Leonard Balogun Koroma sounded optimistic about what this meeting will bring for Sierra Leone. “Sierra Leone is expected to benefit from increased technical and manpower support from the organization”, he said.

Minister Koroma will also be signing air services agreements with Singapore in a bid to open up the country’s aviation industry. Air services agreements with other countries are also being processed by the country’s Transport and Aviation sector, under the political leadership of Leonard Koroma.
Other members of the Sierra Leone delegation include, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Sahr Kpulum, Chairman, Board of Directors of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Victor Emeric Spaine, the Director, Civil Aviation Authority, Abubakaar Kamara, Board Secretary and Legal Adviser to the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, Floyd Alex Peterson Davies , John Allieu Sesay, General Manager, Sierra Leone Airport Authority , Hassan Michael Fofanah, Chairman Board of Directors, Sierra Leone Airport Authority, Joseph Sam Abokie, Aviation Safety Inspector, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority , Moses Tiffa Baio, Finance Manager, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority and John Suffian Sesay, Operations Manager, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority .

Since his appointment as Transport and Aviation Chief this year, Minister Leonard Koroma has been working on initiatives to see a complete transformation in this sector. At present, the country, through his ministry is pursuing relations for the construction of a new airport, with funding from the People’s Republic of China, to the sum of 312 million dollars.

During the month of September, the Minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Kingho Group on the development of Port and Rail in Sierra Leone.

Given the core pillars of the President’s Agenda for Prosperity, the Transport and Aviation sector is seen as a major player in the success of this all important blueprint of national development in the coming years.

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