Cabinet approves $28.4 million to regain control of airspace from Sudan

The Council of Ministers approved on Friday 28.4 million U.S. dollars to enable it to regain control of it’s airspace which is hitherto under control of neighboring Sudan.

By Awan Achiek

The Council of Ministers approved on Friday 28.4 million U.S. dollars to enable it to regain control of it’s airspace which is hitherto under control of neighboring Sudan.

The Minister of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services,  Michael Makuei Lueth said the money will help speed up the process of South Sudan regaining control of it’s airspace, following the completion of the Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) by China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC).

Makuei said that once the ATMS is operationalized, it will ensure the safety and efficiency of air transport, adding that the infrastructure to facilitate the process of reclaiming control of the airspace is already completed.

“It is worth mentioning that up to this moment, the airspace is controlled from Sudan and this was simply because we did not have the facilities for this. Now facilities have been built and we are left now with the handing over so that ICAO can after this license us,” said Makuei after the weekly cabinet meeting in Juba.

He disclosed that the transitional unity government would be able to collect revenue amounting to over 35 million dollars annually upon taking charge of it’s airspace.

“It will also generate revenue because all these planes that pass over South Sudan, they all pay for the use of the airspace, but we have not been getting it,” he said.

In 2016, South Sudan signed a three-year agreement with Sudan under the International Civil Aviation Organization to manage and control its airspace. According to the agreement, Juba would take over control of its airspace territory after training and acquiring a qualified workforce to oversee the system, enabling the collection of fees from all aircraft using the airspace.

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