Concerns over Africa’s aviation industry addressed

The African aviation industry needs to focus on safety, cost-competitiveness, gender diversity and opening up travel and trade on the continent. That’s according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which said addressing these four issues would allow aviation to drive economic and social development on the continent. Addressing the opening of the 51st annual general assembly of the African Airline Association (AFRAA), which took place in Mauritius last week, IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac said Africa’s aviation industry has ‘huge’ potential. A Fin24 report notes that the IATA estimates that aviation in Africa currently supports $55.8bn in economic activity and 6.2m jobs. Regarding safety concerns, De Juniac said just 26 African states currently meet or exceed the threshold of 60% implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices for aviation regulations. Furthermore, only Mozambique, Rwanda, Togo and Zimbabwe have so far incorporated IATA's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) into their safety oversight systems.