The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in partnership with Royal Air Maroc concluded the 50th Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Rabat, Morocco, under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI. The Assembly, which brought together 463 delegates from 61 countries under the theme “Strengthening African aviation in a liberalized environment”, called upon African States and aviation stakeholders to enhance their efforts for the implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and address various challenges facing African aviation to realise its potential.
Speaking as Chief Guest, Hon. Mohammed Sajid, Minister for Tourism, Air Transport, Handicrafts and Social Economy of the Kingdom of Morocco, made the event’s keynote and official opening remarks. He said: “Liberalization of the air transport market in Africa ought to be supported by all the relevant stakeholders, so that it may translate into to accelerated development, enhanced competitiveness and a better service offering in the sector. It would also help to remove the many restrictions confronting the sector, whether in terms of regulations, tariffs, airport services, or any other areas.”
Mr. Abdelhamid Addou, President of AFRAA and CEO of Royal Air Maroc Group, said: “The 50th edition of AFRAA’s AGA is taking place at a time when the African air transport sector is at the cusp of a great revolution, which will undoubtedly signal an important turning point in the history of air transport in our continent. We hope that the political will currently expressed for the establishment of a Single African Air Transport Market will allow us to fulfill our common destiny, to see all African states remove protectionist barriers, leading to air traffic growth on our continent, carried mainly by African companies, in the interest of the economies of our countries and our fellow citizens”
Mr. Abdérahmane Berthé, AFRAA Secretary General said: “Aviation is a critical economic driver, therefore it is incumbent upon all stakeholders to ensure the sector realizes its full potential. Key to this is unlocking the immense potential of our able and youthful workforce. In this regard, our assembly has called upon the global aviation sector in Africa to discuss existing barriers for gender equality in aviation and to share best practices, programmes and initiatives aimed at overcoming these barriers. The Assembly also called African Governments to facilitate youth development in aviation through affordable training and education for a safe and secure aviation in Africa, and encouraged member Airlines to prioritize youth development through their actions and put in place necessary programmes to bring this about”.
Among the resolutions, the Assembly called upon African governments to reduce taxes, charges and fees especially those related to fuel and passengers and avoid imposing airport development levies
on passengers. Additionally, Ministers responsible for civil aviation should update their counterparts in charge of taxation, in particular finance ministers, on the details and rationale behind ICAO’s policies on taxation.
Further, airports were urged to adhere to ICAO principle of user consultation in the determination and fixing of charges and fees and to ensure that they are commensurate with the level of service delivered. African governments were also called upon to re-invest taxes relating to air travel in developing and equipping airports as recommended by ICAO.
Appointment of officers
The 50th AFRAA AGA elected Mr. Ernest Dikoum [CEO, Camair-Co] as President of AFRAA. Ms. Yvonne Makolo [CEO, Rwandair] was elected as the Chairman of the Executive Committee while Mr. Desire Balazire [CEO, Congo Airways] was elected as first Vice Chairman and Mr. Sebastian Mikosz – [CEO, Kenya Airways] was elected as second Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee.
The AFRAA Executive Committee has oversight responsibility for the Association and crafts policy as well as overseeing implementation of projects and programmes by the Secretariat.
Host of the 51st AGA
Camair-co will host the 51st AGA in Cameroon, Yaounde from 24 – 26 November 2019.
AFRAA Awards
The Assembly recognized companies and individuals for their remarkable performance and contribution to aviation industry in 2018 as follows:
- Airline of the year – sustainability and performance: Ethiopian Airlines
- Airline of the year – best improved: Congo airways
- Distinguished service award, Mr Mamadou Hachim Kumaré
Highlights from the Secretary General’s State of the Industry report
In the second working session of the 50th General Assembly, AFRAA’s Secretary General presented the AFRAA 2017 state of the industry report which provided an overview of the environment the African aviation industry is operating in with a detailed view of the performance of African Airlines, key challenges, and growth prospects for the sector.
In 2017, Airlines globally posted US$38 billion after-tax profit representing US$9.27 average profit per passenger. The African industry improved profitability but is still making a net after tax loss of $100 million. For AFRAA member airlines, the intercontinental passenger market segment remains the biggest with 49.5% of all passengers. The domestic market segment represented 23.4% while the intra-Africa market represented 27%.
During the year, Africa’s traffic share was 2.2% of the global market. This figure clearly indicated that there is much room for growth. However, some positive figures have emerged with data showing that in 2017, four (4) countries exceeded 10 million passengers: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria.
The report however noted that, notwithstanding the challenges faced by African airlines, including the high cost of operations in Africa and market restrictions in a number of countries, the industry has much to look forward to. Indeed, the growth rates of African population and African economies are drivers of a huge traffic growth. The African population will raise to 2.5 billion which equals to 26.6% of world population in 2050.