IATA Wings of Change: Strengthening Resilience and Sustainability in African Aviation

As Africa's aviation sector is projected to triple in job creation and economic activity over the next 30 years, IATA remains committed to fostering a resilient and sustainable market.

Advancing Aviation's Role in Africa

Building on the success of last year's Focus Africa launch in Addis Ababa, the Wings of Change Focus Africa (WOCFA) conference is set to return for its second edition under the theme "Towards a More Resilient and Sustainable African Aviation." This year's event will be hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, home to South African Airways. Focus Africa aims to amplify the socio-economic contributions of air travel across the continent, which holds significant growth potential. By facilitating the movement of people and goods, aviation can drive job creation and economic activity in numerous regions that have yet to fully reap these benefits.

Kamil Alawadhi, IATA's Regional Vice-President for Africa and the Middle East, emphasized the vast untapped potential of Africa's aviation market, noting, "Traffic is expected to double in the next 15 years. The Focus Africa Initiative has pinpointed key priorities that, if addressed collaboratively, will strengthen Africa's aviation industry and its socio-economic impact. Although progress has been made in safety, much work remains."

WOCFA aims to further the sector's development by addressing crucial areas such as safety, security, sustainability, economic growth, and overall industry resilience. The Focus Africa initiative targets six key areas, essential for making tangible and sustainable progress in tackling the most pressing challenges in African aviation.

Tackling African Aviation Challenges

Africa, with 18% of the global population, contributes only about 2.1% of global air traffic, highlighting its immense growth potential. With the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, the continent presents a significant opportunity for aviation expansion. As of 2023, the industry supported $63 billion in economic activity and 7.7 million jobs. Projections indicate that aviation's contribution to jobs and GDP in Africa could triple over the next 30 years, with over 260 million passengers expected to travel to and from Africa by 2035. This growth will spur new employment opportunities, increased economic activity, and broader socio-economic development. However, several challenges must be addressed:

1. Inadequate Infrastructure: Many African airports suffer from underinvestment, inadequate processing capacity, and bottlenecks in service, resulting in poor passenger experiences.
2. High Costs: African airlines face high costs in several areas, including aircraft fuel, user charges, airport taxes, maintenance, and insurance, all of which exceed the industry average.
3. Limited Connectivity: Poor connectivity hampers the growth of African airlines, with travel times often far longer than necessary. The implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could improve connectivity but are not yet fully realized.
4. Financial and Distribution Challenges: International airlines often struggle to repatriate funds from certain African countries, and there is a need for better access to international settlement systems for secure and efficient financial services. While progress has been made, issues persist, such as in Nigeria.

The Focus Africa initiative is designed to address these challenges by building on decades of partnerships with African governments and stakeholders. The initiative focuses on enhancing safety, infrastructure, connectivity, financial and distribution systems, sustainability, and future skills development, aiming for clear and measurable objectives.

By addressing these key areas, IATA's Focus Africa initiative strives to unlock the full potential of the continent's aviation industry, driving sustainable growth and contributing significantly to Africa's socio-economic development.