The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and Uganda Airlines concluded the 55th Annual General Assembly (AGA) in Kampala, Uganda. The event was held under the High Patronage of the Government of Uganda and officiated by H.E Jessica Rose Epel Alupo, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda.

The event, which took place from November 19 to 21, 2023, witnessed the induction of five prominent airlines and two strategic partners, marking a significant milestone for the association.
Among the latest airline members are Eswatini Air, Ibom Air, MedSky Airways, Zambia Airways, and Airlink.

Within the framework of pre-Annual General Assembly (AGA) activities, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) successfully organized its inaugural CEOs retreat on Sunday, November 19, 2023. The CEOs retreat, a commendable initiative proposed by the AFRAA Executive Committee, aimed to convene the leadership teams of member carriers in order to deliberate upon the Association’s priorities, work plan, projects, and industry-specific dynamics. These discussions are crucial for enabling AFRAA to fulfill its pivotal role within the aviation sector.

According to the association, in terms of passengers carried, during the 3rd quarter of 2023, African airlines reached the number of RPKs for the same period in 2019. However, overall performance this year remains 18.7% lower compared to the pre-Covid-19 pandemic benchmark of 2019. During that year, African airlines welcomed 95.6 million passengers on their flights.

The implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) is currently one of the main topics of discussion in the aviation industry across the continent. As expected, it featured prominently in several speeches during the 55th Annual General Assembly of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), held from November 19th to 21st, 2023, in Kampala, Uganda.

The honorable General Edward Katumba Wamala pledges that Uganda would announce its accession to SAATM in due course. “SAATM is not a magic wand and needs supportive action in other areas before its full benefits can be realised. For instance, we cannot hope to make headway without opening our borders so that citizens can travel unimpeded. Without opening borders, we are putting the proverbial cart before the horse, and the benefits will indeed be limited”

The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) are currently working towards establishing a closer collaboration platform. The announcement was made by His Excellency Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, during the 55th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of AFRAA held from November 19th to 21st, 2023, in Kampala, where he was represented.

Africa is making progress in terms of connectivity. “I am glad to inform you that today, more States are embracing the SAATM for its huge benefits and we have moved from 14.5% to 19% intra-Africa 5th Freedom traffic penetration”, stated Ms. Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), as relayed by Ms. Angeline Simana (pictured), Director of Air Transport at the Commission, during the 55th Annual General Assembly of AFRAA held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, Uganda, from November 19 to 21, 2023. On this occasion, she reaffirmed the Commission’s firm commitment to achieve a 30% implementation rate of the fifth freedom in Africa by 2025.

AFRAA, in collaboration with the Flight Safety Foundation, has announced the inaugural African Summit on Safety and Operations to be held in May 2024. The aim of this “historic” aviation safety summit, organized by the African Airlines Association, is to bring together industry stakeholders to discuss, develop strategies, and collaborate in shaping a safer future for African aviation. The event will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May 12 to 15, 2024, in partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation, alongside AFRAA’s annual convention.

EgyptAir, the national airline of Egypt, has been selected to host the 56th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in November 2024. The announcement was made by AFRAA on Tuesday, November 21, during the closing ceremony of its 55th AGA held in Kampala, Uganda. In accordance with tradition, EgyptAir, as the next host, has also been elected as the President of AFRAA for a one-year term. In addition, LAM Mozambique has been elected as the President of the Executive Committee, while Kenya Airways and Tunisair have been appointed as the First and Second Vice Presidents, respectively.