The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and Air Senegal closed the 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dakar, Senegal. The event was held under the High Patronage of the Government of Senegal. The Assembly, which brought together 456 delegates from 42 countries under the theme “Activating the roadmap for sustainable African aviation“, called on African airlines and air transport stakeholders to act on the initiatives and strategies that will lead to the sustainability of the air transport sector to realize its potential. These include the Air Transport Sustainability Roadmap, the effective implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) and the free circulation.
In his welcome speech, Mr. Alioune Badara Fall, President of AFRAA and CEO of Air Senegal said: “I pay tribute to the extraordinary work of the stakeholders in setting up projects and programs to build together a more inclusive future for sustainable African aviation, for the full benefit of African economies and people.” The ultimate goal, he noted, will be to achieve improved connectivity between African countries, to build truly efficient carriers both operationally and financially, to achieve structurally competitive tariffs in order to offer African populations the possibility of traveling, meeting and exchanging much more easily thanks to new routes and increased frequencies.
Abdérahmane Berthé, Secretary General of AFRAA, noted with satisfaction and great interest the importance given to the development of the air sector by the State of Senegal through investments in aeronautical development infrastructure and the Compagnie Nationale Air Senegal. “Remembering the particularly difficult times of this ongoing phase of restoration of air transport activity, I would like to express once again the solidarity of AFRAA with the entire chain of players in the aeronautical industry. . As the aviation community, we must continue the joint efforts underway to support recovery and foster a sustainable and resilient air transport system in Africa,” he said.
Resolution on Net Zero Carbon Emissions from Aviation by 2050
Among the resolutions, in line with the industry’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the Assembly urged all industry stakeholders to commit to addressing the environmental impact of their policies , products and activities with concrete actions and clear deadlines. The Assembly also encouraged all AFRAA member airlines to continue to improve the efficiency of their operations in order to sustainably reduce sector emissions and support the transition to reliable and competitive Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). .
Appointment of officers:
The 54th AFRAA AGM elected LAM Mozambique as Chairman of the Executive Committee, Kenya Airways as First Vice-Chairman and Air Algérie as Second Vice-Chairman. The Executive Committee of AFRAA is responsible for the oversight of the Association.
Host of the 55th AGM:
The 54th AFRAA AGM elected Uganda Airlines as the President of the Association. Uganda Airlines will host the 55th AGM in Uganda from November 19-21, 2023.
Launch of the 1st edition of the report on the history of aviation:
AFRAA launched the first edition of the African Aviation History Report on the sidelines of the 54th Annual General Assembly (AGM) and AFRAA Summit on December 12, 2022 in Dakar – Senegal. The Aviation History Report by AFRAA is a prestigious industry publication, the first of its kind in Africa, which contains a rich mix of information to enrich the understanding of African aviation development. .
Highlights of the Secretary-General’s report on the state of the industry:
The recovery in aviation activity continued in 2022. After a contraction in 2020, Africa’s GDP rebounded by 6.9% in 2021. The outlook for economic growth in Africa is highly uncertain. The effects of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict could lead to a larger decline in global production than currently expected.
Compared to February 2020, African airlines have reopened almost all international routes. Some have extended their network to new destinations, particularly in West and North Africa. From January to November 2022, offered capacity reached 75.4% for the same period in 2019, while traffic reached 74.7%. The recovery from the level of activity of 2019 is still in progress.
AFRAA priorities for 2023:
Implement the actions of the roadmap for the sustainability of air transport in Africa.
Continue the deployment of AFRAA’s five-year strategic plan
“Our industry must build resilience and sustainability in the face of future crises like Covid 19 and end the progressive marginalization we have suffered over the past 40 years.” Mr. Berthé underlined.