The first-ever African Air Transport Convention & Expo opens in Lome, Togo, from 15-19th June.
Organised by the Dakar-based AU agency responsible for civil aviation — the African Civil Aviation Commission (AfCAC) – that has been fast-tracking the Agenda 2063 flagship project of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), the meeting is under the patronage of Togolese President H E Faure Gnassingbe, and supported by AfCFTA Secretariat; and AUDA NEPAD.
The meeting comes in the wake of the 2024 ECOWAS decision that calls for a 25% reduction of taxes, charges and fees by the twelve members of ECOWAS. To date, only Cote d’Ivoire has committed to the reduction.
While a multiplicity of issues, such as ratification of SAATM by more member states; fifth freedom rights; user preferred routes; and dominance of Ethiopian Airlines, dominate typical conversations around Africa’s aviation, the five day confab promises to cover an array of key issues.
These include accelerating the implementation of SAATM; reducing the cost of air transport in Africa; Air Cargo & Corridor-based route development.
Other important topics include seamless mobility & air transport facilitation; financial sustainability; environmental sustainability; safety, security; and capacity.
Finally, issues around capacity-building in the wake of competition of Gulf Carriers will loom large with an important session focusing on women, youth and skills development in aviation.
ECOWAS Business News Managing-Editor E K Bensah Jr is in Lome, together with other media helping AfCAC to ramify and amplify the African aviation narrative around SAATM.
One of the outcomes of the Lome meeting will be a declaration on taxes, charges and fees (TCFs), and other commitments to strengthening Africa’s aviation.
What happens in Lome will be critical for the aviation conference in Montreal – the Seventh Worldwide Air Transport Conference in November.
Crucially, outcomes of Lome will feed into a roadmap for 2027 when the AU dedicates a year-long theme on SAATM and Technology.
