Boeing-backed aviation safety workshop targets stronger regulatory oversight in Southern Africa

May 11, 2026 in Companies, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Aviation regulators from across Southern Africa gathered in Angola for a Boeing-backed workshop aimed at strengthening safety oversight, regulatory compliance and technical capacity as the region seeks to improve aviation standards and ICAO performance ratings.

Civil aviation regulators from across Southern Africa gathered in Angola last week for a high-level aviation safety workshop aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight and improving compliance with international aviation standards amid growing air traffic across the continent.

The three-day programme, held in Luanda from May 6–8, was jointly hosted by Boeing, CAA International, Southern African Development Community Aviation Safety Organization and the Angola Civil Aviation Authority.

The workshop focused on Special Authorizations and Special Approvals, a technically complex area of aviation regulation considered critical for operational safety and international compliance.

Regulators participated in practical sessions covering procedures required to issue approvals for advanced flight operations including performance-based navigation, reduced vertical separation minimum operations, low visibility operations and extended-range twin-engine flights.

Speaking during the workshop, Kayode Ariwodola, Boeing’s Director of Safety and Regulatory Affairs for Africa, the Middle East, Türkiye, Central Asia and Europe, said the initiative was designed to help regional regulators strengthen long-term oversight capacity.

“As regional regulator teams evolve, ongoing training and knowledge sharing help ensure consistent safety and oversight,” Ariwodola said.

“This workshop, developed at the request of Southern African civil aviation authorities, provided a practical forum to build skills, strengthen partnerships, and support long-term capacity development across the region,” he added.

Industry analysts say African aviation regulators are under increasing pressure to modernize oversight systems as airlines expand route networks and deploy more technologically advanced aircraft across the continent.

The workshop also highlighted longstanding concerns around limited technical capacity in parts of Africa’s aviation regulatory ecosystem.

Kabo Phutietsile, Executive Director of SASO, acknowledged that issuing special approvals has historically been one of the weakest-performing areas under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme in Southern Africa.

“In Southern Africa, issuing special approvals has been one of the least understood and weakest-performing areas under ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program, largely because technical training in this area has been scarce in our region,” Phutietsile said.

“With support from Boeing and CAAi, this workshop is the first step to equip specialists in our region with practical skills to address those challenges,” he added, expressing hope that the initiative would evolve into a long-term partnership supporting sustained aviation safety improvements.

The sessions were delivered by technical specialists from Boeing and CAA International, with organisers positioning the programme as part of broader efforts to improve regional regulatory harmonisation and operational resilience.

Matthew Margesson, Managing Director of CAA International, said practical regulator-focused training remains essential for strengthening compliance with global aviation standards.

“It was a pleasure to collaborate with Boeing, SASO and the Angola Civil Aviation Authority on this important initiative,” Margesson said.

“By providing practical, regulator-focused training, the workshop will help build sustainable capability in areas critical to ICAO compliance and long-term aviation safety performance across the region,” he added.

The Angola workshop builds on a series of aviation safety and regulatory programmes supported by Boeing across Africa, including recent engagements in Tunisia for North African regulators and Uganda for East African aviation authorities.

The growing focus on regulatory capacity development comes as African governments and airlines seek to position the continent for projected long-term growth in passenger and cargo traffic while maintaining compliance with increasingly stringent international safety requirements.