CAAi to Review Kyrgyz Republic’s State Safety Programme

The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic has entered into an agreement with the CAA International (CAAi) to review and update the country’s State Safety Programme (SSP) per ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices. The project commenced with an on- site visit by CAAi Technical Advisors.

Funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association, the project forms part of the Kyrgyz Republic’s goal to develop and grow the country’s aviation sector.

Over the coming months, CAAi Technical Advisors will work with their Kyrgyz Republic counterparts to review, update, and implement a revised ICAO-compliant State Safety Programme. The SSP will need to meet the specific conditions of the civil aviation system in the Kyrgyz Republic. The project will conclude with training for inspectorate of State Civil Aviation Agency (SCAA) staff and industry personnel responsible for safety compliance. The training will include theoretical and practical courses to support the application of the revised State Safety Programme, covering the implementation of safety performance indicators, safety performance targets, safety risk assessments, and hazard identification plans, among others.

By the end of the project, the Ministry of Transport and Communications plan to demonstrate greater levels of safety oversight in the Kyrgyz Republic, and in conjunction with other safety programmes, help the country grow its international air transport network.

Speaking after the project kick-off meeting in Bishkek, Rob Erskine, Head of International Operations at CAAi, said:

“As one of the first aviation regulators to implement an SSP in 2009, the UK has gained valuable insight and know-how that will benefit the Kyrgyz Republic during the development of its SSP. As we’ve seen in the UK, combining prescriptive and performance-based oversight, a modernised SSP will help the Kyrgyz Republic use safety data to get ahead of safety risks and act before incidents occur. It will be an invaluable asset for effective safety management.”

Timur Askarov, Deputy Director of the State Civil Aviation Agency, the Projects’ beneficiary and accountable to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, commented:

“I hope that as a result of our fruitful cooperation within the framework of the CARs-3 project, we will be able to create a reliable and sustainable system of aviation safety regulation in the country, which will contribute to further increasing the level of compliance with ICAO standards and recommended practices, the development of the civil aviation industry in Kyrgyzstan, as well as expanding the capabilities of domestic air carriers in the international air transportation market.”

ICAO Annex 19 requires each State to establish and maintain a State Safety Programme – an integrated set of regulations and activities aimed at improving safety – that is uniquely developed to reflect the size and complexity of a state’s aviation system. The SSP is a key platform that allows a State to apply safety management principles throughout its regulated entities, allowing safety oversight authorities and service providers to interact and resolve safety concerns more effectively.

The project commenced in December 2022 and is expected to complete in the first half of 2023.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency recently awarded a new contract to  CAAi to examine the impact of aviation security measures on aviation safety and vice versa for continued regulatory improvements.