The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified safety, connectivity, revenue repatriation, air traffic control management and human capital as keys to leveraging aviation to realize social and economic benefits in Africa.
Raphael Kuuchi, the vice president of Africa at IATA, recently outlined the organization’s agenda at the African Airlines Association Annual General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda. With more than 1 billion people spread across the continent, Kuuchi said, Africa has great aviation potential.
“Aviation is uniquely placed to link Africa’s economic opportunities internally and beyond,” Kuuchi said in a keynote address delivered on behalf of Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “And, in doing so, aviation spreads prosperity and changes people’s 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.”
Currently, the aviation industry supports 6.8 million jobs and contributes $72.5 billion to the continent’s gross domestic product each year. And demand for commercial aviation is projected to increase by an average of 5.7 percent annually over the next 20 years.
“Africa also faces great challenges and many airlines struggle to break even,” Kuuchi said. “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.”
Progress has been made in improving aviation safety in Africa. There were no fatalities or jet hull losses in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2016. However, there were 2.3 accidents per 1 million flights, higher than the global average of 1.6 accidents per 1 million flights.
“African safety has improved, but there is a gap to close,” Kuuchi said. “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.”
In terms of connectivity, IATA has urged 22 states that committed to the Yamoussoukro Decision, which opens intra-Africa aviation markets, to honor their commitments. A framework that enables airlines to repatriate revenues and effective air traffic management were also identified as important steps to improve safety and connectivity.
“Investments must improve safety and efficiency from the user’s perspective,” Kuuchi said. “If not, they are just an additional cost burden. The ICAO Collaborative Decision Making framework is a practical guide for such consultations.”
Africa’s aviation industry also needs to leverage human capital to meet labor force demands. That means better collaboration between airlines and governments to understand and meet future workforce needs to support industry growth, Kuuchi said.