Progress in the Aviation Sector

To assist the Afghan Government in the harmonisation of all efforts in the rehabilitation of the airport and the aviation sector, a Clearing House mechanism was established back in 2004 to bring all stakeholders together and to facilitate a coherent and coordinated approach.

A Kabul-based Steering Committee and several subcommittees were promptly created by the Government of Afghanistan to monitor, co-ordinate and provide oversight for the implementation of these efforts.

In March 2007, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) hosted a Clearing House meeting in Montreal. In his intervention in the meeting, Afghan Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mr. Jawid outlined his strategy on the future of the civil aviation sector in Afghanistan.

He emphasized the critical role it plays in providing stability and prosperity to the country and pointed to the noticeable progress that has been made in the past few years to improve the safety and efficiency of aviation sector in all Afghanistan, while also recognizing the challenges that lie ahead.

At the meeting it was suggested that the Steering Committee and its subcommittees would be aligned with the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) structure and the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS). Under the new structure the aviation issues were transferred to the newly established Transport and Civil Aviation Working Group (TCAWG), which replaced the Steering Committee. The first meeting of the TCAWG was held in Kabul on 16 August.

There has been considerable progress throughout the wide range of issues concerning the aviation sector. Aviation security has been improved with new measures, including the establishment of a Security Department at MoTCA and the installation of new security equipment at KAIA. The building of indigenous capacity is demonstrated by the new aviation law, which has been submitted for approval by the parliament. There have also been major improvements in the airport infrastructure, both at KAIA and the regional airports.

Minister Jawid further noted that despite the progress made, the Afghan aviation sector still required the continued commitment of the members of International Community to maintain the encouraging level of development. Finally, he  highlighted the focus by the Ministry on developing capacity to transfer responsibilities for the airspace and airports from the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) and the U.S. Air Forces Central (US CENTAF) to capable Afghan aviation authorities as soon as feasible.