The Civil Aviation Authority of Zambia has said there is need for all airport facilities to conform to international standards if Zambia was to be transformed into a transit destination.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zambia Director General Gabriel Lesa said the increasing flow of air traffic in the country suggests the need for modern facilities in strategic areas.
Mr. Lesa said the country can benefit from modern facilities.
He said this in Kasama yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Northern Province Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga.
He has since called for the modernisation of airports in all provincial centres to enhance trade and boost the country’s economic growth.
And Mr. Lesa said there was need for partnership between the authority and various stakeholders to regulate the utilisation of unmanned aerial vehicles, popularly known as drones, in the country.
Mr. Lesa said the control of drones is key to the security and safety of the nation.
He observed that although the use of drones is beneficial, the gadgets can pose security challenges if they are not controlled.
He said it is due to this reason that the use of drones in any part of the country requires monitoring.
Meanwhile, Northern Province Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga said the country should take advantage of the special position it is occupying in the region, especially when it comes to air traffic.
Mr. Kamanga said Zambia is well positioned to be a regional hub for air traffic because of its central location.
He however noted that infrastructure challenges have hampered this realisation although the government is making massive investment to upgrade infrastructure in the sector.
Mr. Kamanga added that air transport is efficient and timely hence has the ability to boot the country’s economy.
Smart Zambian enterprise mind here looking out for the future. This is the Zambian the Zambian Mr. Mumba Esquire always chit chats about.
Total waste of time.
The longer our governance looks at new industries and technologies as money making schemes, the longer Zambia as a whole will stay in the 1980s technologically.
If you want to regulate drones which I agree with, at least create a system that doesn’t impede the access to such technologies. As currently the CAA and the laws are keeping drones away from reaching their true potential in Zambia.
The picture captioned: the guy who owns those drones and the company getting government tenders for those drone doesn’t even have a license.