Safety, Infrastructure, Competitiveness Key to Africa’s Aviation Industry

The International Air Transport Association is urging governments in Africa to work together to promote safe, sustainable and efficient air connectivity throughout the continent.

During comments made at the 50th Annual General Assembly meeting of the African Airline Association in Morocco, IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said African aviation supports $55.8 billion worth of economic activity in Africa and 6.2 million jobs.

In order for the aviation industry to become an even bigger driver of prosperity, IATA must work closely with African governments, de Juniac said. Collaboration has already proved to be a positive influence on the progress of the African aviation industry’s safety record.

“Africa has had no jet hull losses for two years running and is two years free of any fatalities on any aircraft type, it’s clear that progress is being made. But more needs to be done,” said de Juniac. “We urge governments to recognize the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in their safety oversight programs.”

IOSA carriers perform three times better than airlines not on the IOSA registry, de Juniac said.

“We have a convincing argument,” de Juniac noted. “Similarly, states must push forward greater adoption of International Civil Aviation Organization Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS).”

Only 24 states in Africa comply with at least 60 percent of ICAO SARPS.

“That is not good enough,” said de Juniac, who encouraged states to make global safety standards a top priority.

When it comes to competitiveness, airlines in Africa, on average, lose $1.55 for every passenger carried, according to IATA. Cost structures that enable growth must be established in order to improve the competitiveness of African aviation.

“Africa is an expensive place for airlines to do business. There is no shortage of examples illustrating the heavy burden that governments extract from aviation,” said de Juniac. “Jet fuel costs are 35 percent higher than the rest of the world. User charges, as a percentage of airlines’ operating costs, are double the industry average. And taxes and charges are among the highest in the world.”

The African aviation industry’s infrastructure is also problematic and in need of improvement.

“In some cases, it is overbuilt and expensive. In other cases, it is deficient and cannot meet demand,” said de Juniac. “Dialogue between industry and government is critical to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to meet demand, that airline technical and commercial quality standards are met and that the infrastructure is affordable.”

IATA also expressed strong support for what’s known as the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) initiative.

“The low density of the African intra-continental network makes it impossible to realize the potential benefits of a connected African economy. SAATM—if implemented—gives Africa the potential for economic transformation. History has shown that opening markets leads to rapid advances in connectivity,” said de Juniac.

To date, 27 African governments have committed to SAATM and IATA encourages the remaining 28 African Union member states to come on board quickly to enjoy the potential benefits of a connected African economy.

Finally, de Juniac noted that Africa’s aviation industry is expected to see a quadrupling of passengers over the next two decades, which will require an expanded labor force. He called on governments to develop policies to build their training pipeline in order to support growth and tap into the power of women to help alleviate a growing skills shortage in the region.

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