By Stanley Senya
Accra, May 29, GNA – Participants at the 11th Aviation Stakeholders Convention say it is critical for the air transport ecosystem to support concerted actions for air travel business to thrive and contribute to the continent’s sustainable rapid development.
They said it was time to redefine the narrative of Africa’s air transport industry to that of interconnectedness, affordability, profitability, efficiency, and sustainability.
The three-day event was on the theme: “Changing the African Aviation Narrative.”
The Convention was to convene stakeholders to dialogue and deliberate on subject matters to pave the way for the air transport industry’s development and change the narrative of African Aviation.
It also aimed at establishing lasting interactions and partnerships among aviation players and airlines in the aviation value chain for win-win relationships that will benefit African aviation.
The Convention was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the patronage of the Government of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia.
A statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency emphasised that African Airlines faced many challenges that the industry needed to contemplate and find lasting solutions with serious consideration.
“Critical among the challenges facing our industry is sustainability. Only 10 per cent of African citizens can afford air transport, meaning there is a huge room for growth,” it said.
It said reducing the cost of operation, cooperation among airlines, partnerships, and consolidation were part of The African Airlines Association’s (AFRAA) initiatives and advocacy to make air transport affordable for Africans.
The event highlights include a total of 31 African airlines attending the conference, out of which 14 were represented at the CEO level.
Overall, the event was attended by 455 participants from 42 countries.
The statement said there were master classes, where cutting-edge ideas, industry best practices, new opportunities, and practical solutions were presented and discussed.
They discussed the journey towards more efficient and sustainable flights, the Digital Twin by Star Navigation, and the showcase of the AFRAA Data intelligence tool and Avi Analysis solution.
The Steering Committee of the Laboratory on Air Transport Sustainability in Africa held a meeting at the Convention to take stock of achievements made since 2022 and deliverables for 2023 and beyond.
It said the laboratory brought together air transport, trade, and tourism stakeholders under a roadmap structured into five projects for the sustainability of the industry.
They are Taxes (Fuel and customs), High Taxes and Charges, Navigation – Free Routing Airspace, Implementation of the Single Air Transport Market, and Partnerships – Airlines and Tourism Bodies to improve intra-African Tourism.
The statement said in the discussions, stakeholders took note of the following achievements made under the roadmap of the laboratory outcomes, among others.
This includes the development of a new model of sharing critical infrastructure to reduce investment costs, a data-gathering process launched in the field of technology used by Air Navigation Service providers, procurement, and investment practices.
GNA