Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 12, 2024 Highlights.

In Week 12 of 2024, AfCFTA statistics showed concerning trends in intra-Africa trade, while Tanzania achieved a new aviation milestone. Important agreements and partnerships were also formed during this time, signaling progress and collaboration across industries. Explore these key events of the preceding week in the detailed article below.

Introduction.

African Airlines Association (AFRAA), African Civil Aviation Commission AFCAC, and the African Union Commission (AUC) orchestrated an enlightening three-day workshop on the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) in Nairobi from March 18-20, 2024, hosted at the East Africa School of Aviation (EASA) by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). This pivotal workshop delved into SAATM’s regulatory framework, covering essential aspects such as the executing agency’s powers and functions, consumer protection, competition regulations, the Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM), and the revised African Civil Aviation Policy (AFCAP). It aimed to raise awareness and provide a comprehensive understanding of SAATM’s regulatory instruments to airlines. Read more here.

Meanwhile, in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, the 11th meeting of Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) commenced, focusing on the coordination of the FIR of Brazzaville. ASECNA, a vital air traffic control agency headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, oversees a vast airspace spanning 16.1 million square kilometers, encompassing six flight information regions (FIR) – a space 1.5 times larger than Europe. Discussions at the meeting revolved around airspace utilization, route planning, weather updates, NOTAMs, and other pertinent factors impacting air traffic operations in the region, showcasing the agency’s strategic role in ensuring aviation safety and efficiency.

Shifting gears to the United Republic of Tanzania, the country’s aviation sector achieved a significant milestone with Airplane Africa Limited (AAL) successfully assembling three Skyleader aircraft capable of accommodating two to four persons each at the Morogoro Regional Airport plant. This achievement, realized in collaboration with the government at the Morogoro facility inaugurated in 2021, marks Tanzania’s inaugural venture into indigenous aircraft assembly, highlighting the nation’s growing capabilities in the aviation industry.