Focus Africa Conference Strengthens Aviation’s Contribution to African Development

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the Focus Africa Conference will delve into six priorities under IATA’s Focus Africa initiative to strengthen aviation’s contribution to the continent’s economic and social development and improve connectivity, safety and reliability for passengers and shippers. Focus Africa is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 20-21 June 2023, with Ethiopian Airlines as the host airline.

“Over the next 15 years, Africa’s passenger traffic is expected to double. The continent stands out as the region with the greatest potential and opportunity for aviation. But this potential is limited by infrastructure constraints, high costs, lack of connectivity, regulatory impediments, slow adoption of global standards and skills shortages, among other factors. The Focus Africa Conference will bring together the continent’s key stakeholders to address these challenges,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, will deliver an Opening Keynote Address. “We are delighted to host IATA’s Focus Africa Conference and welcome the aviation industry to our home, Addis Ababa. Advancing the air transport industry is critical for Africa’s economic growth. The conference will allow industry leaders to join forces and drive the Focus Africa initiative,” said Tasew.

Speakers & Sessions

Walsh, Tasew, and Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice-President for Africa and Middle East will be speaking at the event along with:

Yvonne Makolo, CEO RwandAir and Chair of the IATA Board of Governors )20232024(

Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General, African Civil Aviation Commission )AFCAC(

Abdulrahman Berthe, Secretary General, African Airlines Association )AFRAA(

Aaron Munetsi, CEO, Airlines Association of Southern Africa )AASA(

Rodger Foster, CEO Airlink

Poppy Khoza, Director General Civil Aviation, South African Civil. Aviation Authority )SACAA(

Bradley Mims, Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration )FAA( Session tracks will address:

Safety

Aeronautical information management

Intra-African connectivity

Airport infrastructure

Biometrics and security

Modern airline retailing

Sustainability

Skilled workforce

United Nigeria Airlines Targets Regional, Int’l Flight

After getting listed on the IATA Operational Safety Audit )IOSA( registry, United Nigeria airlines said, in no distant time, it will commence regional and international flight operations.

This was disclosed by the chief operating officer, United Nigeria Airlines, Maxi Osita Okonkwo, at the presentation of the IOSA award to the airline by the representatives of the International Air Transport Association )IATA(, West and Central Africa, Dr Samson Fatokun, at the airline’s office in Lagos.

Okonkwo disclosed that, the airline getting the IOSA certificate less than two years after it started operation, is one steps towards the airlines’ long term objectives of going regional and international. He further stated that, being on IOSA register was a necessary condition and requirement for going international, saying, the process was an eye opener. To him, “it was a serious process that open up our eyes to many things and this is one step towards our long term objectives because we have plans of going regional and international and being on IATA register is a necessary condition and requirement. We are happy and we definitely want you to watch this space as we made further announcement in weeks and months to come.

“IOSA audit programme was a very serious one, and it opened our eyes to so many things so many things. It’s a privileged and also a responsibility all put together and we manage to go through that and we became successful. We thank our team especially those that worked so many hours, days and months to get us to where we are today. We also thank IATA and the audit team that came from different parts of the world.”

“When we started operation from day one, we made this part of our programs and out chairman said anything we need to do to be internationally recognised, to be in IATA register, we should do it within two years of our operations and I can tell you that we achieved that before two years of starting operations, however, it won’t have been easy without support from the stakeholders, regulators,” Okonkwo stated.

Also speaking, the IATA representative in West and Central Africa, Dr Samson Fatokun, disclosed that, United Airlines, joined list of few airlines in the sub-region on IOSA’s registry.

According to him, six airlines from Nigeria are on the IOSA register, thereby, making Nigeria the only country in Africa with highest IOSA certificate. He, however, advised the airline operator that maintaining the presence in the registry is tough and demanding as most airlines find it tough to maintain their status.

Fatokun said: “it’s a great opportunity for us at IATA to present the prestigious IOSA certificate to any airline because we know what it takes to acheive that feat and as you said, in less than two years of your operation, you are already at this level where you can be said to have adhered to the global safety standard at it best. That is a great acheivement and we will like to congratulate you for acheiving this and we also say congratulation to the team that worked.

“It’s a good acheivement but maintaining yourselves there is tougher and more demanding. we have airlines getting there and not being able to maintain their stay. We can’t expect anything less than this and you have done very well. IOSA is a means and an end to go to higher level like IATA membership and lot more.

“We have very few airlines in West and Central Africa region that are on the IOSA registry at the moment and you are one of the few and for an airline that came onboard in less than 2 years, that is very good and we hope you will be able to sustain that. In Nigeria, we have six airlines that are on the IOSA registry and it’s by far the only country in Africa that have this number of IOSA member airlines. there is no other country in Africa not even South Africa. I want to congratulate Nigerian operators” Fatokun, however, disclosed that, IOSA audit complement the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority )NCAA(, safety audit and not to rival it.

“IOSA supports the regulator, the NCAA, we are working together for only one goal, which is safety which is our number one priority. Working with NCAA, the local regulator to acheive this, we can see the result interm of safety on our flight and safety record as a country so IOSA dosen’t come to take over from them but to support each other.