Flight Safety Foundation
President’s Citation

For Outstanding Service is presented to

Maimuna Taal

For her determination in enforcing regulations for safe aircraft operations in Africa despite political pressure and personal risk.

While director general of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, Taal also headed the international Banjul Accord Group, dedicated to preventing political influence and corruption from permitting the flight of unsafe aircraft across the continent.

Confronted with an operator flying Boeing 747s with airworthiness deficiencies, she refused them permission to fly from Gambia. Her concerns were substantiated when other nations’ civil aviation authorities also refused permission for the same operator. For Taal, however, the consequence was severe. She was dismissed from her position and jailed by order of the president of Gambia.

Taal — who has an aerospace engineering degree, extensive international safety training, and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration — was eventually released from prison, largely because of protest from the global aviation community. After two years of court proceedings, she was acquitted of all charges.

Flight Safety Foundation is pleased to recognize Maimuna Taal for her dedication to improving aviation safety by enforcing airworthiness standards in Africa, where the accident rate is among the highest in the world, and for her courage in standing up to unsubstantiated accusations.

60th annual International Air Safety Seminar
Seoul, Korea
October 3, 2007

William R. Voss
President and CEO
Flight Safety Foundation

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