By George M.O. Williams
When Musayeroh Barrie was appointed as the Director General of the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, few skeptics raised an eyebrow.
Eleven months on the job, the Sierra Leone aviation industry is finally taking off, with her as the captain. Madam Barrie is part of the new generation of U-40 leaders disrupting, changing, and inspiring change across government. She is one of the youngest aviation leaders in the world.
Appointed as the DG just 11 months ago, Madam Barrie has handled all the pressure with poise. Her contribution to the sector predates her appointment. She came into this current job with a decade of experience in aviation security, having served as the Country Director for West Minister Aviation Security Services.
Some Achievements
Sierra Leonean carriers like so many other countries have a restriction on flying in Europe and UK air space because of several safety and security risks. DG Barrie has been working to change that. Earlier this year she signed an MOU with SLCAA’s Italian counterpart, which is a step towards getting Sierra Leone off that blacklist.
During the presentation of the Italian delegation at State House, DG Barrie spoke about the benefits of this cooperation: “I am pleased to inform you that we have made significant steps in the cooperation between our two states covering Air Transport between Italy and Sierra Leone, as well as Technical Assistance with the EU Safety Commission regarding the removal of Sierra Leone from the EU Safety List “Blacklist”. Sierra Leone is also keen to play a central role in the production and distribution of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.”
During the regular government press briefing on Tuesday, Madam Barrie said she is optimistic that in the next 6 – 8 months, there will be significant progress to take Sierra Leone off that blacklist. Already the country has received applications for the carriers that want to fly under the country’s name.
Connectivity is a huge problem in the region, flight to neighboring Liberia will take approximately 9 hours, because of how long the flight paths are. Under DG Barrie’s leadership, this problem will be solved soon.
This week, she announced that the SLCAA is in talks with two flights that will fly directly to destinations like Monrovia, Conakry and Abidjan.
Flight volume to the country has been on the up since she took over, from 37 flights per week last year to 50 per week by next month. Global Airlines like Ethiopian Airlines is now in Sierra Leone, and Brussels Airlines will now run the Sierra Leone route five times a week, from three. Her ability to cajole these big industry players is paving the way for Sierra Leone in the global aviation industry.
In July this year, Madam Barrie brought an airshow home. SLCAA hosted the Single African Air Transport Market Airshow. That major conference brought together leading aviation stakeholders in the region to Sierra Leone to discuss common issues. That conference ended on a high, with Sierra Leone signing a joint Communique with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC), “to fast track the full implementation of the Multilateral Air Services Agreement (MASA) signed by member States in 2004 and to promote the harmonization of air transport policies and procedures thereby fostering the sustainable development of international civil aviation.”
These are some of the many achievements Musayeroh Barrie has accomplished. She is inspiring change, leveraging her experience to forge new partnerships for Sierra Leone. It’s a new day in Sierra Leone’s aviation industry and the captain is bracing to take off.