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International organisation gives African aviation industry notes on how to grow

Posted: 14 November 2017 | | No comments yet

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has laid out a list of priorities which must be addressed for aviation to deliver maximum economic and social benefits in Africa.

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In a keynote address at the African Airline’s Association Annual General Assembly, Raphael Kuuchi, IATA Vice President, Africa, outlined the growing importance of aviation to the continent – and what they must do going forward.

Speaking on notes provided by Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General, Mr Kuuchi said: “Africa is the region with greatest aviation potential. Over a billion people are spread across this vast continent.

“Aviation is uniquely placed to link Africa’s economic opportunities internally and beyond. And in doing so, aviation spreads prosperity and changes peoples’ lives for the better. That’s important for Africa. Aviation can help in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including the eradication of poverty and improving both healthcare and education.

“Africa also faces great challenges and many airlines struggle to break-even. And, as a whole, the African aviation industry will lose $1.50 for each passenger it carries. Governments should be aware that Africa is a high-cost place for aviation. Taxes, fuel and infrastructure charges are higher than the global average. Additionally, insufficient safety oversight, failure to follow global standards, and restrictive air service agreements all add to the burden that stands in the way of aviation’s economic and social benefits,”

Aviation currently supports 6.8 million jobs and contributes $72.5 billion in GDP to Africa. Over the next 20 years passenger demand is set to expand by an average of 5.7 per cent annually.

Safety in Africa has improved. In 2016 there were no passenger fatalities or jet hull losses in Sub-Saharan Africa. When turbo-prop operations are included, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 2.3 accidents per million flights against a global average of 1.6 accidents per million flights.

“African safety has improved, but there is a gap to close. Global standards such as the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) are the key. Performance statistics for IOSA show that the accident rate of the 33 IOSA registered carriers in Sub-Saharan Africa is half that of carriers not on the registry. That’s why I urge African Governments to use IOSA in their safety oversight,” said de Juniac through Mr Kuuchi in Kigali, Rwanda.

He called for improved government safety oversight, noting that only 22 African states have reached or surpassed the implementation of 60 per cent of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) standards and recommended practices (SARPs) for safety oversight. “The Abuja declaration committed states to achieve world class safety in Africa. ICAO SARPs are critical global standards. And governments must not fall behind in delivering on important revised Abuja targets such as the establishment of Runway Safety Teams,” he said.

Intra-Africa Connectivity

IATA urged the 22 states that have signed-up for the Yamoussoukro Decision (which opens intra-Africa aviation markets) to follow through on their commitment. And it further urged governments to progress the African Union’s Single Africa Air Transport Market initiative.

It called on African governments to avoid air traffic management re-fragmentation in the face of decisions by Rwanda to leave the Dar-Es-Salamm Flight Information Region (FIR) and South Sudan to leave the Khartoum FIR. “ASENCA, COMESA and the EAC upper airspace initiatives improve the efficiency of air traffic management by working together. I urge Rwanda and South Sudan to reconsider their decisions,” Mr Kuuchi said.

IATA also urged industry consultation on air traffic management investment decisions. That will ensure alignment with airline operational needs and avoid over-investment. The ICAO Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) framework is a practical guide for such consultations.

Supporting that growth will need a much expanded labour force, according to the international trade body. It said that African Governments need to collaborate with the industry to better understand the industry’s future needs to guide the creation of a policy environment and support the development of future talent needed to deliver the benefits of aviation growth.  

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