Aviation chief Mosety Kat pledges stronger safety oversight

The newly appointed Director General of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, Engineer Mosety Kat, has pledged to strengthen aviation safety regulations, inspections and enforcement to prevent accidents and protect passengers and the public.

Kat made the commitment during a reception at the weekend following his appointment to serve under the caretaker government.

He said the Authority would adopt a more proactive, risk-based approach to aviation safety by identifying and addressing potential hazards before they develop into accidents or other incidents.

“On safety, we will strengthen risk-based regulatory oversight, inspection, enforcement and compliance system so that the risks are identified before they become incidents,” Kat said.

He said the approach would cover conventional aviation operations as well as the growing use of drones in South Sudan.

According to Kat, aviation operators and drone users would be required to comply with established safety standards and regulations. He also pledged to strengthen inspection and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that regulatory requirements are followed.

“We will ensure that operators, air drones, aviation activities and our regulatory responsibilities meet the standards our people deserve,” he said.

Kat said the Civil Aviation Authority would not compromise on measures intended to protect human life.

“We will not gamble with the life of our people,” he said.

The new approach is intended to shift aviation safety oversight from responding to incidents to identifying and managing risks before they occur.

The Authority says its regulatory responsibilities will be carried out in line with public safety expectations and international aviation standards.