Zambia calls for harmonized SADC aviation security priorities

Zambia’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has called for harmonized priorities among SADC Member States on aviation security and stronger intelligence sharing systems to enhance facilitation in the movement of goods and people in the region. Brighton Mayamba, Manager, Aviation Security at the CAA, said Zambia was working with other Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States to enhance coordination on key initiatives. According to a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Mayamba made the call during the Africa Border Security Week meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa, this week.

He said the Authority had also noted the need to continue re-aligning regional aviation security standards with the International Civil Aviation Organisation Annex 17 and 9. Mayamba stated that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 17 focused on Security, Safeguarding International Civil Aviation Against Acts of unlawful Interference. “Annex 9 establishes international Standards and Recommended Practices designed to simplify, standardize, and optimize border clearance processes for international air travel,” he said.

Mayamba said Zambia was working with other SADC Member States to enhance coordination on initiatives such as strengthening intelligence–sharing systems, and enhancing regional resilience against transnational threats. “This system captures critical biographic details from passengers’ passport and pairs it with core flight,” he said. Mayamba added that the CAA was engaging stakeholders on the introduction of the Passenger Name Record which was a unique, alphanumeric string usually generated by an airline’s reservation system when a flight was booked and contains a code which has a digital dossier of a traveler’s journey.

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“Passenger Name Record serves as a vital tool for government authorities and border control agencies to identify high-risk individuals,” he said. “The integrated Aviation Security – Border Governance Framework will establish a National Border Intelligence Fusion Centre, integrate immigration, customs, aviation, and financial intelligence, expand One Stop Boarder Posts,” Mayaba added. He said that the deployment of Artificial Intelligence-enabled surveillance systems and use of automated cargo screening and drone monitoring were part of the planned measures. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.

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