Further opening the air transport market in Africa is critical to a collective mission to reach travellers and investors from countries across the continent to boost the economy and create jobs.
This was one of the key takeaways from the Africa Aviation Innovation Summit – hosted by the African Airlines Association and Kenya Airways – in Cape Town last week.
Allan Kilavuka, Group MD and CEO of Kenya Airways pointed out during his opening address that the Summit would unite key stakeholders in the aviation industry to address pertinent issues affecting the sector.
“Recognising the African aviation industry’s vital role in the continent’s economy, the summit aims to stimulate further growth and progress within the sector. We eagerly anticipate engaging with our partners and participants as we explore innovative avenues to enhance industry growth and development,” he said.
The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, agreed. “We firmly believe that collaboration and innovation in the aviation sector are pivotal for Cape Town’s growth and propelling Africa’s aviation landscape into a promising future.
“As a premier African tourism destination, Cape Town welcomes this summit, recognising aviation's vital role in connecting our city to the world, fostering economic growth, and enhancing our position as a sought-after travel hub in Africa.”
Open skies
Vos noted that where open skies had been implemented, it had increased utilisation of airspace, more competitive fares, and more choices for travellers.
He added that overly complicated agreements added significantly to the cost of doing business and created needless hurdles for the growth of air traffic and the economic spin-offs thereof.
“I have previously written to Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, asking her to put added pressure on the National Transport Department to implement an open skies policy and I will renew those engagements,” said Vos.
According to Vos, in 2022, air travel funnelled R24 billion (€118.3m) into the provincial economy while supporting over 10 600 jobs. This year, around 31 000 passengers per day are expected to travel through Cape Town International Airport, with approximately 215 international flights scheduled to land every week.
“In the coming months, we expect to welcome record numbers of visitors, showing an incredible appetite for Cape Town travel experiences. We should be doing all we can to make our region as accessible as possible to boost our economy and job opportunities,” emphasised Vos.
