Launching "Focus Africa" and Preparing for World Cargo Symposium

IATA launches “Focus Africa” to strengthen aviation’s contribution to Africa’s economic and social development and improve connectivity, safety and reliability for passengers and shippers. This initiative will align private and public stakeholders to deliver measurable progress in six areas: safety, infrastructure, connectivity, finance and distribution, sustainability and future skills.

“Africa accounts for 18% of the global population, but just 2.1% of air transport activities. Closing that gap, so that #Africa can benefit from the connectivity, jobs and growth that #aviation enables, is what Focus Africa is all about,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Infrastructure constraints, high costs, lack of connectivity, regulatory impediments, slow adoption of global standards and skills shortages affect the customer experience and are all contributory factors to African airlines’ viability and sustainability. The continent’s carriers suffered cumulative losses of $3.5 billion for 2020-2022.?Moreover, IATA estimates further losses of $213 million in 2023.

Discover more about Focus Africa.

Preparations underway for World Cargo Symposium

IATA World Cargo Symposium?(WCS) will take place in Istanbul, Türkiye from 25 to 27 April 2023 and will focus on?sustainability, ?safety ?and digitalization.?

Willie Walsh, and Brendan Sullivan , IATA’s Global Head of Cargo will be speaking at the event along with:

• Ahmet Bolat , Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines
• Mehmet Tevfik Nane,?Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Pegasus Airlines and Chair of the IATA Board of Governors
• Kendra Kincade , President and CEO, Elevate Aviation Marco Bloemen, Managing Director Accenture and Head of Seabury Cargo
• Steve Smith, President & CEO, Airlink
• Turhan ?zen Ozen,?Chief Cargo Officer at Turkish Airlines

The WCS program will also include a special session on the vital role of #aircargo cargo in #humanitarian efforts. This session will have a particular focus on recent efforts to deliver aid to the people of Türkiye and Syria affected by the devastating earthquakes in the region.

“Air cargo plays a critical role in delivering aid to those in need. The industry’s recent mobilization to provide support to the people of Türkiye and Syria affected by the tragedy is the latest example. With this year’s WCS being hosted in Türkiye, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the role that air transport plays so that airlines are even better prepared for the next humanitarian crisis,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

For more information, read our latest press release.

Welcoming a new member ??

We welcome Global Crossing Airlines, the latest addition to IATA's ?#airlinemembership.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, GlobalX is a charter and ACMI carrier serving the United States, Caribbean and Latin America markets.

For more information about IATA member airlines, check out our website.

Parked aircraft returning to service support global recovery

The onset of the #COVID19 pandemic resulted in the number of aircraft in service dropping precipitously in early 2020, and many were placed into long-term storage (the number in storage rose by 235% MoM in March 2020).

With the re-opening of airline routes and markets, airlines have shifted their airline assets back into service, with the number of active aircraft recovering to 98% of pre-pandemic levels in March 2023.

Read our latest?weekly chart?to see the current storage trends and its implications for industry growth.

Jet Fuel Price Monitor

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