By Brenda Kayo:
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, has proposed the introduction of airport development charges, which will be levied on all air travellers.
Ministry of Transport Principal Secretary Madalo Nyambose delivered the proposal during a meeting with the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament in Lilongwe.
According to Nyambose, domestic air travellers will be required to pay $1.50 for domestic tickets, while international travellers will pay $10 for international tickets.
Nyambose explained that the charge aims to raise $11 million, which will be used to improve safety and security at Chileka and Kamuzu international airports.
She added that the airports need to be certified under Target 7 of the Abuja Declaration on Aviation Safety by 2026, but the current conditions make it challenging to attain that certification.
The target aims to ensure that African countries comply with international aviation safety standards set by Icao.
It focuses on improving safety oversight, infrastructure and air navigation services, with a goal of achieving full certification by 2026.
“The airport operator will have to carry out corrective actions to address the safety and security deficiencies at both airports.
“The introduction of the airport development charge is expected to generate revenue that will be used to upgrade the airports’ infrastructure and improve their safety and security standards,” Nyambose said.
Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee, Albert Mbawala, said it was unfortunate that the country’s airports are still not up to international standards, which pose a hug risk to travellers.
He urged the government to explore alternative financing options to upgrade the airports’ infrastructure.
“We advise them to quickly look for alternative means of financing so that, in a few years, the country will have airports with international-standard infrastructure that are certified by international bodies,” Mbawala said.
The Ministry of Transport has partnered with Icao to collect revenue from aviation services for a period of 10 years.
Icao is a United Nations agency that promotes safe, orderly international aviation by setting global standards for safety, security, air navigation and environmental protection to ensure efficient and sustainable air travel.
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