East Africa will lead Africa’s air traffic growth over the next two decades, making the sub-region the heartbeat of the continent’s aviation revival, says Kamil Alawadhi, International Air Transport Association’s (Iata) vice-president for Africa and Middle East.

 

Speaking at the opening of the Aviation Africa 2025 Summit in Kigali on Thursday, Mr Alawadhi said Africa’s skies are at a “crossroads,” where global turbulence meets regional opportunity, and that East Africa’s dynamism offers the clearest signal of the continent’s future direction.

The two-day summit brought together leaders, regulators and investors from across the continent and beyond, with Rwanda once again positioning itself at the centre of Africa’s aviation transformation.

Forecasts project Africa’s air travel market will expand by 4.1 percent annually over the next 20 years, reaching 411 million passengers, with East Africa as the fastest-growing sub-region.

Cargo is also on the rebound. African carriers posted a 9.4 percent year-on-year increase in demand in July—the strongest monthly performance in nearly a year—driven by double-digit growth on the Africa-Asia corridor.“This is proof of Africa’s resilience and of the opportunities that exist if the right policies are put in place,” Mr Alawadhi said.

Mr Alawadhi emphasised that unlocking Africa’s potential requires fixing its fragmented skies. While 38 states have signed onto the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), implementation remains slow.“In many cases, it is easier to fly to another continent than between two African countries. That is a barrier to growth and opportunity,” he said.

He pointed to successful examples of connectivity initiatives, such as Cape Town Air Access, which attracted 18 new routes and expanded 23 others, contributing $290 million in tourism spending and 10,000 jobs.

Visa openness remains another critical factor. He highlighted Rwanda’s own liberal visa regime—alongside Benin, The Gambia and Seychelles—as a policy model for regional integration.

With intra-African trade accounting for just 15 percent of the continent’s total, compared with 60 percent in Europe, Mr Alawadhi argued that aviation is indispensable to realising the promise of the African Continental Free Trade Area.“More than 80 percent of intra-African routes remain under-served. Airlines, airports, and logistics companies are ready. What we need is for governments to recognise aviation as a strategic enabler, not just a source of tax revenue,” he said.

Mr Alawadhi outlined five priorities for action by governments - treat aviation as a strategic sector, as Ethiopia and Rwanda have done through investments in national carriers and airports-, improve safety oversight and accident reporting to meet global standards.

The continent would also need to expand and modernise infrastructure to match global benchmarks while also accelerating SAATM implementation to unlock new routes and competition.“Africa is rich in opportunity—with a young population, growing markets, and a strategic position in global trade. Aviation can be the engine that connects these opportunities, drives integration, and unlocks prosperity,” he said.

But continued fragmentation and high costs will hold the continent back. The time for action is now.”

© Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).