Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 20, 2024 Highlights.

In week 20, significant conferences took place: the Aviation Stakeholders Convention in Addis Ababa, the East Africa Aviation Transport Forum in Zanzibar, and the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali. Additionally, the US-Nigeria Open Skies agreement is nearing reality, and Libya’s airspace ban is close to being lifted by the EU. Explore the article below to gleen information on routes, fleets, infrastructure, and more in the African aviation scene.

Introduction.

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and Ethiopian Airlines hosted the 12th Aviation Stakeholders’ Convention at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel from May 12-14, under the patronage of the Government of Ethiopia. Held under the theme “Beyond Connecting Africa Aviation,” the convention attracted over 500 high-profile delegates from the aviation industry across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. The goal was to drive growth opportunities and deliberate on the developments within the African aviation industry. Following this event, AFRAA launched the inaugural Africa Safety & Operations Summit on May 15, 2024, in partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation(FSF). RwandAir Ltd was unveiled as the host of the 13th Aviation Stakeholders’ Convention and the 2nd Africa Aviation Safety and Operations Summit in Kigali in 2025.

The 6th East Africa Aviation Transport Forum, organized by the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (eac cassoa) in collaboration with the TANZANIA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY(TCAA), took place from May 15-16. Under the theme “The Future of Air Transport: Maintaining Resilient, Sustainable, Innovative, and Safe Air Transport Systems,” the forum brought together over 200 aviation industry experts from regulatory authorities, airport operators, airlines, and other key stakeholders from 10 African countries. The forum focused on establishing joint plans for investing in aviation infrastructure and services and continued efforts to harmonize laws, regulations, and guidelines governing safety and aviation.

The Africa CEO Forum (ACF), which unites more than 2,500 business leaders and policymakers, began in Kigali on May 16 and will run until May 17. Organized by Jeune Afrique Media Group in partnership with the IFC – International Finance Corporation, part of the The World Bank Group, the forum engages leaders shaping Africa’s future from both the public and private sectors. This year, leaders discussed a crucial question: how can Africa secure its place among the leading powers of the future? Despite setbacks and slow integration, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has the potential to be a catalyst for economic and social development if it evolves beyond mere market aggregation to form a genuine pan-African alliance.