Samoa has only eight individuals responsible for aviation safety and security for the entire state said the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure Associate Minister Afioga Niuava Malolo.

He made the comments at the second Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation held earlier this month in New Delhi, India.

“As we confront emerging challenges, this collaboration will ensure that our region remains connected and does not lag in aviation growth,” he said in his remarks.

“However, challenges remain, particularly in the area of capacity building for Samoa, and many other Pacific Small Islands Developing States, the small size of our civil aviation workforce makes it difficult to meet the global standards for safety and security oversight.

“Both the state safety oversight and aviation security oversight systems have an effective implementation below the global average. With only eight individuals responsible for aviation safety and security for our entire state, the need for continued support and expertise from more developed nations is critical.

“To be able to do this, as a Pacific Small Island Developing State, we look to the more developed countries to guide us and we are very grateful for the unending assistance from the various States to Samoa, which has enabled us to be where we are today.”

Samoa is committed to strengthening its aviation sector and supporting and partnering with other nations to enhance connectivity and foster development in the Asia Pacific region.

This was done by endorsing the New Delhi Declaration. Samoa reaffirmed its commitment to working collaboratively with regional partners to overcome the challenges the pandemic posed and build a stronger, safer, and more dynamic aviation sector.

“For Samoa, these difficulties began with the Measles Epidemic in 2019, which tragically claimed more than 80 lives, most of whom were children,” said Afioga.

“Our borders were shut, and our connectivity was severely affected. This was followed by the global COVID-19 pandemic which led to nearly three years of border closure, deeply impacting our economy and isolating us from the world.”

He acknowledged the unwavering support of Asia Pacific neighbours who were instrumental in Samoa’s recovery following the pandemic.

Samoa has reiterated its dedication to enhancing connectivity and fostering development.

The two-day conference ended with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing unanimous passing of the Delhi Declaration.

Samoa was represented by Afioga and Director of Civil Aviation Afioga Lauano Mariner-Viliamu.

The New Delhi Declaration underscores Samoa's unwavering support for continued partnership and collaboration in civil aviation.

This commitment follows the first Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation in 2018, held in China, which concluded with the Beijing Declaration. The Beijing Declaration set the foundation for States to work together to achieve shared commitments and take necessary actions to address the challenges faced by the aviation sector.

While some of the commitments outlined in the Beijing Declaration made satisfactory progress, most targets related to safety and navigation had not met expectations. The shortfall was primarily due to the pandemic, which plunged the global civil aviation sector into a severe crisis.

The Conference marked an important advancement by Civil Aviation Ministers of the Asia Pacific States, aiming to address the increasing demand for air travel and to concentrate on the future development and infrastructure of airports amidst rapid airline growth.

The commitment from the Asia Pacific Region to foster collaboration on a unified platform to orchestrate regional aviation growth is embodied in the Delhi Declaration, which replaces the Beijing Declaration.

The high-level gathering brought together approximately 250 representatives from 41 countries.