SADC Aviation Safety Organisation (SASO) is a subsidiary organisation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It is established by SADC Member States through a Charter and organised under the Principle of Subsidiarity. Its purpose is to promote the safe and efficient use and development of civil aviation with the SADC region. It will accomplish this by assisting SADC Member States in meeting their safety oversight obligations and responsibilities as outlined under the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed in Chicago on 7 December 1944 and its safety-related Annexes and Documents.
SADC Member States have found it imperative to establish a regional organisation responsible for enhancing the safety of civil aviation in the region. This results from the Member States’ lack of technical expertise and the need for technical staff to fulfil safety requirements of the Region.
The vision of SASO is "to be the success driver behind SADC’s achievement of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices."
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) comprises 15 Member States. Out of these 15, those that have signed the SADC Aviation Safety (SASO) Charter are referred to as State Parties to the SASO Charter and members of the SASO.
The Civil Avian Committee (CAC) shall be responsible for strategic planning, formulation and ensuring implementation of the SASO programmes and projects. The CAC shall conduct its meetings in accordance with its own Standing Rules and Procedures. The functions of the CAC shall be to develop policies and to give general directions on the implementation and achievement of the objectives and functions of the SASO.
In order to facilitate domestication of SADC Generic Regulations (SGRs) and SADC Generic Procedures (SGPs), the Flight Safety Working Group (FSWG) was established. FSWG membership consists of representatives from Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) of SADC Member States.