Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 24, 2025.

Introduction.

AviaDev Africa 2025 took place in Zanzibar, Tanzania from June 11–13, drawing over 500 delegates from 46 countries, including representatives from 36 airlines. Held near Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, the event facilitated more than 1,200 route development meetings and featured panel discussions on sustainable operations, artificial intelligence, and stakeholder collaboration. The summit reinforced the importance of partnerships and data-driven strategies in accelerating intra-African connectivity. With its successful hosting, Zanzibar strengthened its position as a regional aviation center. The next edition of AviaDev will take place in Botswana in 2026.

From June 10–11, 2025, Dar es Salaam hosted a high-level conference that brought together air traffic controllers and aviation experts from Tanzania and several other countries. The two-day event, organized under the auspices of the TANZANIA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY(TCAA), focused on strengthening air traffic management systems across Africa by addressing global technological challenges and sharing best practices. The conference served as a platform for collaboration, training, and strategic dialogue on the future of air navigation services in the region. Topics discussed included the integration of advanced communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) technologies, digitalization of air traffic control systems, cybersecurity threats, human factors, and the growing importance of automation and AI in air traffic management.

AOCs/ASLs/Regulations.

Zanzibar is moving forward with plans to establish its own national airline, aiming to boost air connectivity and drive tourism growth across the archipelago. The initiative was announced on 10 June 2025 by Nadir Abdulatif Yussuf, Zanzibar’s Deputy Minister for Works, Communication, and Transport, who confirmed that advanced discussions are underway with potential investors. Notably, preliminary negotiations have begun with EGYPTAIR to explore the feasibility of launching the airline from the ground up. This initiative complements broader efforts to enhance inter-island mobility—including the planned launch of scheduled AIR TANZANIA COMPANY LIMITED flights to Pemba starting July 2025—and to increase Zanzibar’s appeal to both tourists and investors.