Africa's largest trading bloc, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on Saturday signed a grant agreement with the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to help improve air traffic monitoring and control in the region.

The grant will provide 433,300 U.S. dollars which will go to technical assistance in examining the establishment of an operational and economically viable regional air traffic management system for upper and lower air space.

COMESA has put the promotion of regional integration through trade and investment as its top priorities.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in Nairobi, U.S.Ambassador to Zambia Carmen Martinez, also U.S. representative to COMESA, said the USTDA agreed to assist coordinate approaches to the project called Control Navigation Surveillance Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) by its members.

Sindiso Ngwenya, assistant secretary general in charge of programs at COMESA hailed the grant which he said would increase aid capacity and safety.

"Such coordination will increase capacity and safety by simplifying much of the complex interaction between today's smaller national systems in our airports, and will facilitate investment in fully compatible, leading-edge technological systems, " said Ngwenya.

COMESA has selected DORS International of Washington D.C. to conduct the technical assistance and while providing this assistance, DORS International will develop an organizational structure and architecture for the Management of the CNS/ATM system.

DORS will also conduct an economic and financial analysis to determine revenue generation potential and plan to provide for the sustainability of the lower air space.

Source: Xinhua