Air transport can build African safety: SIPRI

Air transport development programmes in Africa focusing on air traffic manage, airfield ownership and aircraft security - have the potential to significantly improve security and governance in regions affected by conflict and transnational organised crime.

That is the view of the Stockholm worldwide Peace Research Institute in new research paper titled "Building Air Transport Capacity in Africa: Options for Improving safety and Governance.

The report, penned by SIPRI arms transfers researcher Hugh Griffiths, finds that air transportation has played a key function in prolonging the wars that have devastated parts of Africa in current years.