Collaboration between aviation stakeholders, not least governments, in Africa is essential if the aviation sector is to realise its full potential and accelerate the development of the continent. So asserted International Air Transport Association (Iata) VP: Africa Raphael Kuuchi in his keynote address to the African Airlines Association Aviation Stakeholders Convention in Zanzibar on Sunday.

“Over the next 20 years, air travel is forecast to grow at nearly 6% per year in Africa,” he highlighted. “This represents significant opportunity. Fulfilling this potential will not happen by chance; strong partnerships and cooperation are key. For too long, a lack of cooperation has blighted our great continent’s development.”

But change is happening, he pointed out. Nearly all Africa’s leaders recently signed the framework agreement to set up the African Continental Free Trade Area which, when implemented, will be the biggest free trade agreement since the establishment of the World Trade Organisation. Should all African countries join the continental free trade area by 2030, it will create a market of 1.7-billion people with a consumer and business spending capacity of $6.7-trillion.

Separately, but complimentarily, the African Union recently also launched the Single African Air Transport Market, intended to bring the “Open Skies” concept to Africa and increase the continent’s air transport connectivity. In those other regions of the world in which Open Skies policies have been implemented, the results have been increased air traffic, economic growth and job creation.

“We expect no less in Africa,” he affirmed. “An Iata report indicates if just 12 key African countries opened their air transport markets, the increased connectivity would foster 155 000 additional jobs and the creation of an extra $1.3-billion in annual GDP [gross domestic product] in those countries.”

However, he cautioned that for these two major initiatives to work, they must both be fully implemented. “This will require greater collaboration between governments, who must follow-through with their commitments so their economies and aviation can fly high.”

Even under current conditions, aviation supports $72.5-billion in economic activity and 6.8-million jobs in Africa. “Without aviation, Africa would be a more fractured and constrained continent; with aviation, it can better realise its ideals of regional integration, peace and prosperity,” emphasised Kuuchi. “Its potential is almost without limit.”