Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 34, 2024 Highlights.

Introduction.

On August 22, 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization‘s Regional Safety Group convened a pivotal meeting of East African aviation leaders in Arusha, Tanzania. The discussions centered on optimizing regional upper airspace management, rehabilitating airports, and strengthening compliance with global aviation standards. There were also strong calls to expedite the signing of the EAC Air Transport Market (Liberalization) Regulations, a key initiative aimed at enhancing regional integration and driving economic growth across East Africa.

In a remarkable achievement, Senegal successfully launched its first satellite, GAINDESAT-1A, into orbit on August 16, 2024, at 18:56 GMT from the Vandenberg base in California. This milestone, five years in the making, was a significant step toward technological sovereignty for the West African nation. With this launch, Senegal joins an exclusive group of 17 African countries that have successfully sent a surveillance and telecommunications satellite into orbit. Currently, these nations have collectively launched 61 satellites, with South Africa leading the way by launching the continent’s first satellite in 1998.

African Aviation: Projections and Statistics.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently released its 20-year passenger forecast, painting a dynamic picture of global air travel. In the short term, global passenger numbers are projected to grow by 9.7% in 2024. However, this growth is uneven, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the charge at 15.7%, fueled by a lower base and rising living standards. Looking ahead, IATA forecasts that passenger numbers will double by 2043, driven by an average annual growth rate of 3.6%, with Asia-Pacific and the Middle East expected to be the key engines of this expansion.