UNHAS plane land on belly|Courtesy

A national MP is calling on the leadership of the August house to summon the minister of transport and the civil aviation authority over safety, status, and reliability of aircrafts operating in the country.

Reth Muoch says the officials should appear before the parliament to answer questions over the matter.

He cited recent aviation incidents in Malakal, Upper Nile State, and in Jonglei State.

On Friday a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) made an emergency landing at Malakal Airport after losing all its tires upon take off in Maban Count.

35 passengers aboard survived.

The UNHAS charter plane reportedly departed the northern part of Upper Nile State and was destined to Juba.

A week prior to the incident, three people were killed and four others including crew members suffered injuries when a humanitarian cargo aircraft crashed at Pieri airstrip in Jonglei State.

The plane operated by a commercial airline was chartered by the World Food Programme (WFP) to transport relief supplies from the state capital Bor to Uror County.

The agency said in a statement that the plane rammed into adjacent shelters injuring the two crew members on board, who are now in stable condition after being treated at a local clinic.

It was indicated that the crash triggered a fire that spread to huts adjacent to the airstrip, killing three people and injuring two others on the ground.

Reacting to the latest flight incident, lawmaker Mouch said; Right Honorable Speaker, last past years, weeks and months South Sudan has witnessed a concerning number of aircraft incidents these incidents resulted in the loss of live,  injuries and even the destruction of the properties.

” I would like to call upon the aviation authority of South Sudan, the regulatory body that is overseeing the safety of  aircrafts in South Sudan to be summoned to this house,  and the minister of transport to explain to us what are the causes whether it is a maintenance issue, he added.

During Monday’s parliamentary sitting, Muoch expressed deep concern over the frequent accidents, stressing the urgent need for accountability and transparency from those overseeing the aviation sector.

“There  is an anxiety around the country because  air-crafts have been crashing everywhere and we don’t know what is happening.”

Lawmakers are eager to inquire about the inspection processes for air-crafts, the licensing and qualifications of pilots, and the general state of aviation infrastructure in the country.

Besides,  to explore the long-term solutions to improve the regulatory framework governing the aviation sector.

This could include recommendations for new legislation, enhanced training for aviation personnel, and severer enforcement of existing safety standards.

Lawmaker added that the incidents have not only claimed lives, but also sparked widespread fears about the overall safety of air travels in South Sudan.

According to data obtained from the Aviation Safety Network, at least 87 people have died in various plane crashes since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011.

The biggest incident that claimed 41 lives occurred on November 4, 2015, near Juba International Airport in Central Equatoria State, when Allied Services Limited – lsf Asia Airways crashed while taking off.

The second biggest fatality occurred on September 9, 2018, near Yirol airstrip in Lakes State, when South West Aviation, lsf Slav-Air crashed while landing – a heartbreaking occurrence that killed 20 people, including a bishop.