This week Africa’s senior airline executives descended upon Marrakech, Morocco for the 47th African Airline Association (AFRAA) Annual General Assembly (AGA). The event highlighted the key issues impacting the commercial aviation industry in the continent and the opportunities that are available for development under the theme ‘Harnessing the Growth Opportunities Together’. Discussions focused on some key topics, including the liberalisation of markets and the need for local carriers need to embrace the change to maximise the benefits and air safety in the region and how Nigeria has become an excellent case study that others should follow.
Below we highlight some of the stories from the event. An exclusive interview with Dr Elijah Chingosho, Secretary General, AFRAA will appear in the December 9 issue of The HUB with more information on the African air services market and the issues that are restricting it achieving its full potential.
Afriqiyah Plans Its International Relaunch
Libyan carrier Afriqiyah Airways is hoping to relaunch scheduled international operations from December 1, bringing a bright end to what has been a very difficult year for the airline. After working to complete a long-planned merger with fellow state-controlled carrier Libyan Airlines, its plans were thrown into disarray following the uprising in the country, the grounding of the carrier and the resultant military action.
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Sika Airlines Plans Long-Haul Links from Accra
A privately owned carrier is working on its proposed launch with ambitious plans to establish long-haul connections from the Ghanaian capital Accra to both London and New York. In an exclusive interview with The HUB at this week’s African Airlines Association Annual General Assembly in Marrakech, Morocco, George Aggudey, Chief Executive Officer of the start-up, Sika Airlines, revealed more details on the proposed venture’s plans and wider growth in the business world.
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EgyptAir Flies Through the Storm
The political instability in North Africa has probably hurt EgyptAir as much as anybody and the events of the past couple of days will do little to renew confidence for the Star Alliance carrier. As demonstrators were this week gathering in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the airline’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hussein Massoud was addressing delegates at the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Marrakech, Morocco about how the carrier overcame the disruptions earlier this year, which led to President Hosni Mubarak stepping down from power on February 11.
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Nigeria a Shining Light for Air Safety in Africa
Nigeria’s renewed focus on air safety was highlighted by International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General & Chief Executive, Tony Tyler, during this week’s African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Marrakech, Morocco, as the level that others on the continent should strive to achieve, acknowledging his own concerns about air safety in the region
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Okapi Airlines Launches Flights in DRC
A start-up carrier which says it plans to significantly enhance domestic air services in the Democratic Republic of Congo, launched flights this week. Okapi Airlines inaugurated operations on November 23 with a single Boeing 737-400 wet-leased from Tailwind Airlines of Turkey. The carrier has been formed to establish ‘safe’ air services within the key markets in the African country, which over recent years has had a rather questionable safety record. It is offering four flights per week to Lubumbashi; three times weekly rotations to Kisangani and Mbuji Mayi and a weekly link to Mbandaka.
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EC Air Plans European Growth
Equatorial Congo Airlines, or EC Air as it has become better known, only launched operations in September this year but it is already finalising plans to treble its fleet to three aircraft and introduce its first flights outside of Africa. The carrier is based at Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo and is currently using a single Boeing 737-300 configured with 12 business class and 108 economy class seats to operate three flights per day to Point Noire.
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First Nation Airways Launches in Nigeria
Nigerian new arrival FirstNation Airways has finally launched operations some seven months after taking delivery of its three Airbus A320s. A senior executive at Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed to The HUB at this week’s African Airlines Association Annual General Assembly in Marrakech, Morocco that the airline inaugurated scheduled services on the domestic route between Lagos and Abuja on November 3, having received regulatory approvals just a week earlier.
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