Kigali, 8 May 2018- The Government of Rwanda will host the Aviation Symposium that will take place at the Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) in collaboration with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

This high-level meeting that will focus on the safety management will bring together 300 top decision-makers and technicians to deliberate on issues surrounding safety in the aviation industry in Africa.

Highlighting the importance of the meeting, Barry Kashambo, the ICAO Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa said "This is a very important meeting when it comes to enhancing Aviation Safety on this continent. The four-day event will feature a Regional Aviation Safety Committee meeting, a Safety Management workshop, and a Symposium, the main component of the event”, adding that the meeting partly seeks to prepare countries to observe safety standards to ensure the industry grows fast.

According to Col. Silas Udahemuka, the Director General of Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), the event is good for a country like Rwanda that is trying to position itself as a Regional Aviation Hub.

"This symposium is coming at the right time and in the right location, because Rwanda sees aviation as one of key enablers to economic development," he said.

Even though safety management has been progressively improving in the region for the past three years, officials said there is a need to invest in preparing countries as traffic continues to increase with the growth in aviation industry.

Officials are also confident that this will be a successful event.