AeroTrail

Introduction.

The ICAO Eastern and Southern African Regional Office and WACAF Regional Offices, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), recently held the APIRG Infrastructure and Information Management Sub-Group meeting in Dakar, Senegal. The event focused on enhancing aviation safety and efficiency through discussions on Aeronautical Meteorology (MET), Aeronautical Information Management (AIM), and Communication, Navigation & Surveillance (CNS). These discussions were pivotal in driving efforts to enhance the safety and efficiency of aviation operations across the region.

Meanwhile, the controversy following Air Peace Limited’s late March 2024 launch of its London Gatwick route continues to escalate. Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, threatened in an August 1, 2024, letter to UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, to revoke British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic (VS) slots at Lagos and Abuja if Air Peace is not granted landing rights at Heathrow.

African Aviation: Projections and Statistics.

African Airlines Association (AFRAA)‘s latest report highlights strong performance in African aviation, with passenger traffic and operational efficiency on the rise. Aircraft seat availability in Africa increased by 7%, from 16 million seats in July 2023 to 17 million in July 2024. Intra-African routes saw a 3% rise, driven by new routes, network expansion, and fleet upgrades. Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) grew by 9%, while Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPK) saw a modest 1.3% increase. African airlines are projected to experience a 15% growth in passenger traffic in 2024 compared to 2023. Capacity is nearly evenly split on international routes between African carriers (50.1%) and non-African carriers (49.9%). On intercontinental routes, African airlines hold a 37.1% capacity share, with non-African airlines dominating at 62.9%. Passenger revenue for May 2024 reached $1.66 billion, a 4% increase from April 2024.

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