USTDA Announces Aviation Initiative for South Africa in Conjunction with U.S.-South Africa Business Summit

(USTDA) Director Zak Joined by U.S. Industry and South African Aviation Leaders

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Yesterday, USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak announced the creation of an Aviation Initiative for South Africa in conjunction with the U.S.-South Africa Business Summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Johannesburg, SA. Key industry participants at the announcement included GE Transportation, The Boeing Company, Airports Company of South Africa, South Africa's Air Traffic and Navigation Services, South African Airways, Southern African Women in Aviation, and the South African Civil Aviation Authority. The Initiative will leverage the expertise and resources of the private sector, both in the United States and South Africa, to build the human capacity and infrastructure to strengthen the aviation sector.

During the announcement, Director Zak stated, "South Africa's aviation record is among the best in the world and through this Initiative, we aim to support the country's objectives of increasing capacity while maintaining the high quality and standards for which it is known."

The first activities supported under the new Initiative include USTDA hosting three delegations of senior officials from South Africa's aviation sector on visits to the United States. Two of the visits will focus on introducing leaders from South African Airways and its stakeholders to U.S. technologies, services, and policies and the third will focus on increasing safety and security within South Africa's aviation sector through airport modernizations and state-of-the-art air traffic management technologies.

In addition to the three upcoming reverse trade missions, USTDA is also supporting an assessment of Cape Town, King Shaka, and O.R. Tambo international airports that will recommend upgrades and improvements to airside capacity.