Press Release
Tanzania attends U.S. – Africa Aviation Ministerial Summit in Atlanta
Summit calls attention to infrastructure development projects
October 26, 2009
ATLANTA – Ministers from ten African nations will meet today for a four-day aviation summit with the United States Trade and Development Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. business community to strengthen strategic and commercial relationships that support aviation infrastructure development, project financing, and air traffic safety and security. The summit will address the major challenges to aviation infrastructure faced by sub-Saharan Africa.
Tanzania’s four-member delegation to the summit, led by Minister of Infrastructure Development Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa includes Tanzania Airports Authority Director General Prosper Tesha, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority Director General Margaret Munyagi and East African Community Principal Aviation Officer Ladislus Matindi.
In support of this summit, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will host an Airside Tour for African delegates and U.S. participants. The parallel runway design of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the most important factor in the efficiency for which the Airport is known worldwide. Other African ministers attending this summit come from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia.
The delegates will participate in key airport development projects with presentations of key airport expansion and development projects including terminal modernization projects and expansions to support increased capacity.
Apart from the presentations, they will also participate in a panel discussion on financing aviation development, discussing current strategies to identify and access financing and funding to implement aviation improvements.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.
