Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the US Department of Transportation (DOT) agency whose mission is to oversee safety and efficiency in the US aerospace system. The FAA’s Africa office is based in Dakar, Senegal, where the FAA Representative covers the 48 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Through DOT’s Safe Skies for Africa (SSFA) program—a 1998 presidential initiative—the United States emphasizes its desire to work hand-in-hand with African nations. This program places a particular emphasis on providing technical assistance and training to meet international aviation safety standards. The program is unique in that Africa is the only region that benefits from direct DOT funding to enhance its aviation safety capacity.
On a day-to-day basis, the FAA Dakar Office works as a liaison between US and African aviation resources. We provide access to a knowledge base of 44,000 FAA employees through our team of SSFA managers, FAA Desk Officers and the US Embassies on the continent. They help us connect to experts in airports, air traffic, flight safety and other areas.
Dakar, the Senegalese capital, is a strategic location for the FAA because the city is home to other regional offices such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), AFCAC (African Civil Aviation Commission), ASECNA (Agence pour la Securité de la Navigation Aérienne en Afrique et a Madagascar) and IATA (International Air Transportation Association).
