ASAM S.A. on why progress in aviation is taking off in Mali

Back in January following a 6 month in-depth audit, IATA officially certified the Malian airport assistance company (ASAM-SA)…

Hi Dominique, could you briefly describe what ASAM S.A. represents?

ASAM is a handling company designated by the state of Mali to provide all ground operations services in the main airports in Mali: Bamako, Tombouctou, Mopti, Kayes and Gao.

With its 500 employees, ASAM S.A. assists more than 25,000 flights and 12,000 tons of cargo each year in compliance with the international standards of IATA and ICAO.

In June 2015, ASAM S.A. is the first airport assistance company in West Africa to have been validated RA3, authorising and securing exports to Europe and beyond, in compliance with the regulations of the European Union. In December 2016 and following a 6-months in-depth audit, we have been officially ISAGO certified by IATA (International Air Transport Association).

What are your upcoming projects? What positive impact could they have on Malian aviation?

Taking into account the latest achievements (the RA3 validation and the ISAGO certification), ASAM will develop its related activities through:

• Training: with the buyback of a training centre in progress.
• Line Maintenance: based on an existing activity, we are applying to become an AMO (Aircraft Maintenance Organisation) and provide line maintenance services.

This 2-year certification will grant ASAM S.A an opportunity to attract new airlines to Bamako Airport and this is also one of our goals. New airline routes coming to Bamako Airport will be a sign of both Mali’s and West Africa’s dynamic development.

What challenges have you faced lately and what are the ones coming up?

The main challenge which we face is to bring an on-going quality of service to our clients (mostly many prestigious airlines) including providing support for the important activity of the United Nation mission in Mali. 

What does ASAM bring to the Malian Aviation?

Through its future developments such as the Training Centre and Line Maintenance activity, ASAM will help to consolidate the role of the Malian aviation in West Africa.

Our latest certifications also mean a real growth for Bamako Airport. The RA3 validation acts as a great success, as Bamako’s airport is one of the first African airports validated.

It is a real opportunity for the development of African freight activities (their growth is estimated around +715% from now to 2050, according to the International Transport Forum, making it the highest growth in the world).

What do you see/ think of the Malian aviation challenges and developments?

Mali has a strong geo-strategic location which allows the issuance of aeronautical services to the whole sub-region. The socio-political situation of the country generates a very high level of security in its airports to develop new activities such as base maintenance activity or FBO.

A new Terminal just completed and will soon be inaugurated, one of the most modern facilities in terms of freight handling and the extensibility of the airport domain make it strong assets for the future.