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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
COUNTRIES in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) are working on a regulatory framework that would liberalise aviation space, a development that will see airlines flying directly to any destination in the regional bloc without hustles.

Once put into place, the framework would result in uniform aviation regulating policies and resultantly reduce operating costs emanating from using connecting routes.

Representatives of the aviation sector from member states met in Victoria Falls this week to harmonise flow and control of air traffic in the upper air space in the Comesa region.

Officially opening the three day meeting Tuesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo said in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Engineer Michael Madanha that liberalising and harmonizing the upper air space would steer economic growth.

“The Government of Zimbabwe is wholly committed to the Comesa harmonisation and seamless upper air space integration project and wishes the project a success,” he said.

“The initiative is meant to provide safe, efficient and cost effective air navigation services to support trade, tourism and regional socio-economic integration and this will make Comesa a leader in air transport.”

Minister Gumbo said while significant strides have been made in other areas, there was a need for integration with regards to the provision of air transportation services.

“Air transport industry liberalisation has yielded many benefits to member states among them improved services, wider route networks and better destination choices for airlines, increase in aircraft and passenger movement and competitive fares.

“As we open up the skies for our airlines, the establishment of harmonised and seamless upper air space operations is crucial for all Comesa member states and we can only succeed if we all work together as a regional bloc,” he said.

The minister acknowledged challenges faced by aircraft operators such as operational costs and efficiency, flexibility, differing regulations and procedures.

Three meetings took place concurrently between Monday and Wednesday as member states representatives tried to come up with a regulatory framework towards a single unified airspace.