Africa Weekly Aviation Trails: Week 38, 2024 Highlights.

Introduction.

South Africa, was Africa’s aviation hotspot during week 38, hosting two major events and an airshow that brought the industry together.

First, Johannesburg welcomed the Aviation Africa 2024 Summit from September 16-17, drawing over 1,300 delegates from 24 African countries and beyond. Under the theme “Bridging Skies and Leveraging Growth,” the event focused on fostering collaboration between the military and civil aviation sectors to drive innovation and growth across Africa. Rwanda was announced as the host of the Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition 2025, marking the fifth time it will host the prestigious event, with its last hosting in 2022.

Johannesburg also hosted the 33rd Airports Council International – ACI Africa Annual General Assembly and Regional Conference at the ACSA International Indaba Centre. Themed “Flying Together: Airport Alliances and Partnerships,” this conference emphasized advancing the interests of African airports through collaboration and excellence in operations. With more than 75 members managing over 265 airports across 54 countries, ACI Africa is committed to achieving safe, secure, and sustainable airport development. Key discussions covered technology, innovation, safety, environmental sustainability, and regulatory models to support growth. Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) was announced as the host for the 2026 ACI Africa conference in Arusha, Tanzania.

To cap off the 12th biennial Africa Aerospace and Defence Air Show and Defence Exhibition took place on September 21-22 at Waterkloof Air Force Base outside Pretoria. Themed “Exploring New Paths, Sharing Solutions, Showcasing Innovation and Capabilities,” the event showcased cutting-edge technologies, fostering global partnerships, and demonstrating the capabilities of the aerospace and defense sectors. Highlights included world-class air demonstrations, mobility track demonstrations, parachute drops, aerobatic displays, and static exhibitions from leading names in aviation and defense, featuring their latest aircraft innovations.