IATA urges Africa to prioritise aviation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged African governments to prioritise aviation as a driver of growth, jobs, connectivity, and social progress.

IATA made this call in a statement on Wednesday, urging improvements in safety, reducing costs, and resolving blocked airline funds.

Somas Appavou, IATA’s Regional Director External Affairs, Africa, said aviation contributes $75 billion to Africa’s GDP and supports over 8 million jobs.

He said the aviation market in Africa is expected to grow 4.1 per cent annually, doubling by 2044, with major social and economic impacts.

Appavou added, “Aviation supports jobs, trade, and tourism. Governments must recognise its power when allocating limited national resources.”

He listed three key priorities for African governments: improve safety, reduce charges, and unblock airline revenues.

He noted that implementing global standards is essential to achieving world-class aviation safety across Africa.

Appavou said although safety has improved, Africa still lags behind in implementing ICAO safety standards and practices.

He revealed that the implementation rate of ICAO SARPs across Sub-Saharan Africa is 59.49 per cent.

This rate falls below the global average of 69.16 per cent and far short of the 75 per cent global target.

In 2024, runway excursions were the most common type of aviation accident in Africa.

IATA urged renewed efforts on ICAO’s Runway Safety Team missions to address these safety concerns effectively.

IATA also called on African states to comply with ICAO Annex 13 by publishing timely accident investigation reports.

Between 2018 and 2023, only eight out of 42 African accidents resulted in final published reports.

Appavou recommended using the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) for better safety oversight.

He said these tools support regulatory monitoring and offer a risk-based approach to safety management.

He also said taxes and charges in Africa are 15 per cent higher than the global average, dampening demand.

Excessive taxation, he noted, destroys air travel demand and stifles economic and social development.

“When charges fund infrastructure, coordination between governments and industry is crucial,” he added.

Infrastructure must be scalable, cost-efficient, and supportive of long-term aviation growth, Appavou emphasised.

On trapped funds, he said airlines must repatriate earnings, as protected by international treaties and agreements.

Appavou said $1 billion of airline revenue is currently blocked across 26 African countries — 73 per cent of the global total.

He noted that trapped funds force airlines to reduce flight frequencies or suspend routes entirely.

He urged governments to honour their obligations and remove all restrictions on airline revenue repatriation.

These issues, he said, are longstanding but urgent, prompting IATA to launch the Focus Africa initiative in 2023.

The initiative seeks collaboration with governments, the industry, and partners to improve safety, affordability, and connectivity.

“Aviation is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. Focus Africa transforms potential into jobs and prosperity,” Appavou said.

Meanwhile, IATA also highlighted its commitment to sustainability through CORSIA—Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.

The scheme is now in its voluntary reporting phase (2024–2026), with mandatory reporting to begin in 2027.

By 2025, 129 countries will participate in CORSIA, including 20 African nations.

IATA called on African governments to support CORSIA, the only global market-based tool tackling aviation emissions.

The air transport association warned against introducing fragmented national or regional carbon taxes that could undermine the scheme’s efficiency.