By Jackson Gaaniko
President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday announced that South Sudan has officially taken full control of its national airspace.
He described the move as a major milestone in strengthening the country’s sovereignty, aviation management, and economic independence.
The announcement was made during an official event in Juba attended by senior government officials and aviation authorities.
President Kiir, in his speech, said the development reflects the country’s growing institutional capacity to independently manage strategic national assets.
“We have reclaimed our sovereignty by taking control of our airspace,” President Kiir declared.
“From today onward, our airspace is fully under our control,” he added.
The president emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring that the country’s air navigation and aviation systems operate smoothly, efficiently, and without interruption.
“We cannot afford any failure in this system because maintaining control of our airspace is essential,” Kiir said while directing aviation authorities and technical teams to maintain high operational standards.
For years, South Sudan’s airspace management partly relied on external technical coordination and regional arrangements following the country’s independence in 2011.
The latest development now gives the country direct authority over air traffic management, aircraft coordination, and air navigation services within its territorial skies.
Government officials say the takeover is expected to improve the monitoring and regulation of aircraft movement, enhance aviation safety, strengthen national security, and increase revenue collection from overflight and navigation fees paid by international airlines using South Sudan’s airspace.
The move is also expected to support the growth of the country’s aviation sector by improving communication systems, air traffic coordination, and operational efficiency at airports across the country.
Analysts view the development as an important step toward strengthening South Sudan’s national institutions and reducing dependency on external systems in managing key sectors of the economy and infrastructure.
Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has continued efforts to expand and modernise its aviation and transport sectors despite ongoing economic and infrastructural challenges.