Togo

1) What have been your achievements in CAA and aviation in your country in 2023 ?

• First of all, allow me to extend my greetings to you and to introduce myself as the newly-appointed head of Togo’s Civil Aviation Authority. I am Lieutenant-Colonel IDRISSOU Abdou Ahabou, an Officer of the Togolese Air Force. In addition to military aviation, I also served in the civil aviation sector as a pilot with the Togolese airline ASKY from 2010 to 2023, under a partnership agreement between the air force and the airline. I joined the National Civil Aviation Authority of Togo (ANAC) in 2018 as a Flight Inspector before my appointment as Director General, in January 2024.  However, the achievements of the Civil Aviation Authority should rather to be credited to the efforts of my predecessor.
• In 2023, as part of its responsibilities, the CAA conducted its civil aviation regulatory and supervisory missions in accordance with the established work plan. As such, the CAA was able to further its work within the framework of the USOAP and USAP-CMA.
• One of the highlights of 2023 was the adoption of the decree on the collection, processing, transfer and use of passenger data (API-PNR). This will enable Togo implement the ICAO Annex 9 provisions on passenger data.
• In addition, the CAA took part in the ICAO conference on Air Services Negotiations (ICAN) from 3-7 December, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This meeting led to negotiations and signing of air service agreements with a dozen African, European and Middle Eastern countries.
• In terms of infrastructure, work is underway to extend the existing apron in order to cope with the increasing traffic flow and aircraft fleet currently operating in Togo.
• It should also be noted that ASKY Airlines, the Togolese airline, has commenced operations on two new routes, namely Luanda and Nairobi.
• Lastly, the Gnassingbé Eyadema International Airport recorded a traffic of 1,418,769 passengers in 2023, representing an increase of 15% compared to 2022.

2) What are your challenges and how can AFCAC assist you?

The main challenge currently being faced by the CAA is that of staff training. The goals set by the CAA can only be achieved with a sufficient number of skilled and qualified staff. To this end, we are now counting tremendously on AFCAC to provide fellowships for staff training.

AFCAC can indeed make a significant contribution to meeting these needs and promoting safe and efficient civil aviation sector by providing increased assistance in the area of training and capacity building for our civil aviation workforce.

The other challenge being faced is that of the restrictions on granting traffic rights by certain States. To this end and in order to foster the full implementation of the YD and SAATM, it will be highly appreciated if AFCAC could support the Champion State by advocating to concerned Member States on the issue.

3) Your commitment to SAATM: how are you going to proceed with the implementation?

You may recall that the President of the Republic of Togo, H. E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, was designated the SAATM Champion at its launch in Addis Ababa on 29 January 2018. There is therefore inconsequential to reiterate all the actions undertaken so far by Togo towards the launch of the SAATM. Togo has made it a point of duty to fully implement the YD and operationalise SAATM. To this end, we have undertaken to review our aviation agreements with other African States, with a view to ensuring their compliance with the Yamoussoukro Decision. We are also encouraging airlines that have not yet started operating flights to Lomé to proceed to do so.

Furthermore, the Champion State is also lobbying for its non SAATM peers to embrace this exciting Pan-African project under the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

4) What can you say about SAATM PIP?

Togo’s support for this project was evident from the outset, with Togo being one of the 14 States identified by AFCAC for the launch on 14 November 2022, of the SAATM pilot implementation project (SAATM-PIP). It gives us great pleasure to note that the project now includes some twenty Member States. This will ensure that the objective of the project to increase intra-African connections based on 5th freedom traffic rights from 14.5% to 30% by 2025, can be achieved effectively.