With this year’s theme being “Bridging skies and leveraging growth”, the 2024 Aviation Africa Summit brought together over 60 industry leaders that geared up to shape the future of African aviation. The summit was attended by more than 1,200 delegates from both international and national backgrounds, including Ms. Barbara Creecy, the Minister of Transport for the Republic of South Africa, and Ms. Poppy Khoza, the Director of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). This two-day event took place from September 16 to 17, 2024.
One of the key topics that were discussed was the concept of the Aerotropolis, which is an important urban planning concept where airports serve as the core of commercial and economic development driving growth and innovation.
Minister Creecy addressed this issue, stating, “Here in South Africa as elsewhere on the continent, Aerotropolis developments can unlock numerous opportunities including job creation, infrastructure development, increased domestic and international connectivity, logistics, e-commerce, and other forms of innovation linked to urban regeneration and environmental sustainability.” She further mentioned that potential sites for Aerotropolis developments in South Africa include OR Tambo in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka Airport, as well as smaller airports in Manaung and the Nelson Mandela Metro.
In her keynote address, Creecy noted that before the Covid Pandemic in 2018, Africa’s aviation industry accounted for 440,000 direct jobs and approximately 6.5 million indirect jobs, generating R63 billion in economic activity. This represented 93% of the continent’s GDP and contributed 2.2% to employment. Also in 2018, there were 1.2 million flights on the African continent, carrying 115 million passengers to 352 airports on 198 airlines. A recent article from IATA projects that over the next two decades, air travel in South Africa is expected to grow by 105%, potentially adding 21 million passenger journeys by 2037. If achieved, this growth would support nearly 800,000 jobs and contribute $19 billion annually to GDP, according to the Minister of Transport.
She also highlighted the importance of collaborating to align regulations, standardize procedures, and enhance cooperation among the aviation authorities. “This approach will not only improve operational efficiency but also foster a more unified and effective aviation ecosystem throughout the continent.”, said Creecy. She also stressed the need to invest in green technologies that reduce carbon footprint and to explore alternative fuels that promote the expansion of aviation while safeguarding the health of our planet.
Before concluding, the Minister proudly announced that a report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), released in March 2024, revealed that Africa has not experienced a commercial airline accident in the last four years. Additionally, South Africa received a score of 91% on the Effective Implementation (EI) of safety oversight systems, based on the most recent audit by the United Nations’ specialized agency, ICAO, conducted in 2023.
She concluded by expressing her desire for the delegates at the summit to engage in discussions about strategies that will enhance the sector’s preparedness for unexpected natural disasters and other emerging global threats. “Our business continuity plans must be designed to enable our industry to better respond to these unanticipated situations. Let’s pledge to collaborate in creating a resilient aviation sector that meets the needs of not just our individual nations and continent, but also the global community.”, added the Minister.
The summit was a remarkable success, fostering connections, sharing ideas, revealing opportunities, and creating new strategies to protect the aviation industry from potential setbacks in its progress. This event has been held in the UAE, Rwanda, Egypt, and Nigeria, with Rwanda designated as the host for Aviation Africa 2025.
