Q4 AOOA Newsletter

As we approach the end of 2020, we might well be forgiven for thinking “the sooner the better” as we reflect on a truly momentous year of extremes littered with mostly negative superlatives caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

For the AOOA, despite unknown prospects for 2021, perhaps we should rather venture to believe in a brighter future for Zambian aviation as we strive alongside our partners to re-build its relevance to a growing membership and keen public interest in the aviation industry, particularly among young Zambians. 

Before taking such a leap of faith, it’s worth reflecting globally that even before the pandemic grounded pilots and aircraft across the planet and ravaged global businesses in the blink of an eye, some likely never to return, here in Zambia we had already been facing severe if not existential challenges. It seemed that just as we, as the AOOA, were gaining critical momentum to overcome some of the more disabling challenges to our industry in Zambia, with the help of our partners and supporters in both public and private domains, then came COVID-19 that cruelly knocked the wind out of our sails … the thrust out of our power-plants.

So, as we take that leap of faith into 2021, all of us who cherish and depend on the aviation industry, whether in public service or private enterprise, need to candidly ask ourselves, how can we best facilitate the cost-efficient, appropriately compliant, and safety-conscious functioning and development of the aviation sector in Zambia as a significant component of the national economy? Are we doing things right, are we enabling or disabling, are we mitigating challenges constructively, or unnecessarily stalling progress?

In short, are we really doing our very best to keep our pilots and cabin crew (front line workers?) and aircraft flying, our engineers and support service providers busy, and the public satisfied, because surely this is really what counts? Can we go into 2021 facing its challenges, not saying “ahh no the problem is …”, but rather “ahh yes the solution is …”? 

From close to zero a year ago, the AOOA now has over 50 members paid up for 2020, and numbers are still growing (our target is 100). We have established an office and an Office Administrator at KKIA; we have our own website, Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp media platforms, excellent rapport with our partners in ZCAA and ZACL, a seat on the Zambia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ZACCI), and access to an exceptional pool of human resources with profound knowledge and experience of the aviation sector.

Let’s use this to take the aviation sector flying into 2021 with vision and confidence.
Join us, let’s do it now!

Richard Jeffery and your 2019 Committee

AOOA
Lusaka, Zambia
28/10/2020.