AFRAA SG Intervention at AFI Aviation Week – 22 Aug 2023
Mr Abderahmane Berthe , AFRAA Secretary General made a presentation at the 8th AFI Aviation Week on 22 August 2023 on 'AFRAA and industry initiatives on connectivity in Africa for Air Transport Economic Development.'
In terms of the number of international routes operated by African Airlines, Mr. Berthé reported that according to AFRAA analysis, African airlines exceeded their pre-Covid number of international routes in October 2022. With respect to intra-African connectivity, this reached 87% of the pre-Covid level during Q3 2022 and exceeded the pre-Covid level during Q4.
He reported that the general Intra-African connectivity is estimated to have reached the pre-Covid level since December 2022. However, the number of existing connections is far lower than the real potential. “We can see a slight improvement from June to July,” he stated.
On the share of Fifth Freedom flights – Q1 2023, Mr Berthé reported that 85% of intra-African flights are direct vs 15% connecting with one stop or more. “Among those direct flights, 5th freedom represents only 21%, while the share of 3rd and 4th freedom flights is 79%,” he remarked. Among the 54 countries in the African continent, only 7 have direct services to more than 20 African countries, a decline compared to 2020 (13 countries used to have direct flights toward other countries). Ethiopia is leading with 35 direct services to other countries within Africa.
Industry initiatives to enhance Intra African connectivity
Improving intra-African connectivity is one of AFRAA's priorities. To achieve this, AFRAA has taken a series of initiatives :
i. Network coordination,
ii. Harmonization of flight schedules,
iii. Increased intra-Africa flight frequency,
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iv. Synergy through collaborative network development,
v. Development of virtual alliances through commercial agreements,
vi. Ensure that the Cargo business portfolio grows significantly.
3. AFRAA is involved in joint aviation stakeholders’ initiatives :
4. Collaboration with AFCAC for the implementation of the Single Air Transport Market (SAATM);
5. The Roadmap of the Air Transport Sustainability LAB under the African Aviation Industry Group (AAIG) hosted by AFRAA in June 2022;
Safety
“As we increase connectivity and develop new routes, our commitment to ensuring the highest aviation safety standards remain paramount.” Mr Berthé stated.
Enhancing safety is one of AFRAA's priorities through workshops and consulting activities. Promoting safety is also one of our strategic objectives. In this regard, AFRAA and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) will launch the 1st Africa Safety and Operations Summit on 15 May 2024 back-to-back with the Aviation Stakeholders Convention (ASC) in Addis hosted by Ethiopian Airlines. The summit seeks to bring together the aviation stakeholders to discuss, strategize, and collaborate on shaping a safer future for African aviation.