The Director General of the Zambia Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Derrick F. Luembe, has assumed the Chairmanship of the African Flight Procedures Programme (AFPP) Steering Committee. Senegal has taken up the Vice Chairmanship.
This was announced during the 11th Meeting of the AFPP Steering Committee, which was co-hosted by the Civil Aviation Authority and Zambia Airports Corporation Limited from 21st to 23rd May 2025. The meeting concluded with a strong call for continued collaboration and commitment to enhancing aviation safety across Africa. It brought together key industry stakeholders to assess the Programme’s progress and chart a course for the future.
Captain Luembe pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessors and to work closely with the Director General of the Senegal Civil Aviation Authority to address critical safety issues concerning instrument flight procedures on the continent.
The meeting resulted in several important decisions, including the endorsement of the new programme document and the approval of the operational plan and budget for Phase IV.
The Regional Director of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Western and Central African Office, Mr Romain Ekoto, emphasised the need for states to sign the Management Service Agreement to ensure the programme’s continuity and institutional growth.
The AFPP aims to enhance aviation safety in Africa through harmonised air navigation services and by addressing persistent challenges in PANS-OPS implementation. PANS-OPS compliance refers to adherence to ICAO’s Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS) guidelines, which are essential for the safe design of instrument approach and departure procedures. The Programme’s success relies on active cooperation and shared responsibility among its member states and partners.
The three-day meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the collective commitment to the AFPP’s objectives and to achieving a safer, more connected African aviation landscape. The next Steering Committee meeting will be hosted by Burkina Faso in 2026.
The African Flight Procedure Programme (AFPP) was initially launched on 27 May 2014. As of 1st November 2021, 35 African states were members of the Programme.
African Flight Procedure Programme Phase IV
The newly endorsed Phase IV operating plan, presented by the AFPP Secretariat, outlines the strategic direction for 2025–2026. Developed in response to regional challenges and member state input, the plan focuses on strengthening national capabilities in the design and oversight of instrument flight procedures (IFPs).
Key components include structured training, tailored technical support, and ongoing flight procedure design projects—all geared towards improving PANS-OPS compliance throughout Africa.
As part of this phase, member states were encouraged to host training sessions to increase participation and build local technical capacity. Cameroon was acknowledged for hosting the most recent IFP design training course in March and April 2025. The course was aimed at equipping air traffic controllers, aeronautical information specialists, air navigation engineers, and pilots responsible for flight procedure design and oversight with the skills required to design and evaluate procedures in compliance with ICAO’s PANS-OPS standards. Covering departure, arrival, approach, and en-route phases, the training formed a critical part of broader efforts to enhance airspace efficiency and improve aviation safety across the continent.
These efforts are integral to supporting the implementation of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and establishing a technically sound foundation for harmonised, safe, and efficient airspace operations across the continent.
