MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority has briefed the cabinet on plans to reactivate the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), a system designed to streamline payments and settlements for airline tickets.
The briefing was delivered by the authority’s director general during an extraordinary cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.
The director general said restoring the system would be an important step towards developing Somalia’s air travel market and aviation services, while strengthening commercial ties between airlines and Somali travel agencies.
He highlighted the contributions of the Somali Federation of Travel and Tourism Agencies, the Somali Airlines Association and the Somali Banking Association to efforts to restore the system, saying cooperation among the groups had played a significant role in the process.
The IATA BSP system is expected to give Somali travel agencies greater access to the international travel market and help promote tourism, trade and investment, as well as create employment opportunities.
Its reactivation is also expected to reduce Somali travel agencies’ reliance on BSP systems operated in other countries, allowing them to deal more directly with international airlines.
The Billing and Settlement Plan is an industry system that facilitates the reporting and settlement of ticket sales between accredited travel agents and airlines.
