(Posted 28th October 2026)
Following the success of this year’s inaugural African MRO Conference, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and four leading African MRO service providers—EGYPTAIR MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING, Ethiopian MRO Services, Kenya Airways MRO, and South African Airways Technical—are pleased to announce the second edition, taking place from 04–06 April 2027 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.
The conference will be followed at the same venue on 07 April 2027 by the Aviation Finance Forum, held in collaboration with Afreximbank. This one-day, high-level forum will focus on unlocking capital for African aviation and addressing wider challenges across the continent’s aviation ecosystem, particularly financing constraints.
The African MRO Conference
The second African MRO Conference will focus on advancing maintenance, repair, and overhaul services across Africa’s aviation sector. Hosted by EGYPTAIR MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING, it will build on the inaugural event by developing an MRO marketplace—a dedicated platform where MRO leaders, engineering and maintenance managers, supply chain managers, and industry experts can address strategic challenges, explore emerging technologies, and form partnerships that strengthen Africa’s MRO capabilities.
The conference will bring together African air operators, OEMs, vendors, and service providers to address supply chain disruptions, workforce development, and rising operating costs. Through high-level presentations, business-to-business meetings, and facility tours hosted by EGYPTAIR MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING, participants will explore tools and proven practices that improve safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. The event will also promote collaboration among African MROs to expand their regional market share, reduce reliance on maintenance services outside the continent, and support the continued airworthiness of Africa’s fleet.
The Aviation Finance Forum, in collaboration with Afreximbank
African airlines continue to face structural financing barriers, including high borrowing costs, limited access to long-term capital, currency constraints, elevated risk perceptions, and restricted aircraft financing. ICAO estimates that aircraft financing costs for African carriers are 30–40% higher than for comparable airlines elsewhere, while Afreximbank reports that only 38% of Africa’s fleet is leased, compared with 81% globally.
Pairing the MRO Conference with the Aviation Finance Forum connects technical efficiency with access to capital across the aviation value chain. Stronger MRO capabilities can lower maintenance costs, improve aircraft availability and profitability, and strengthen creditworthiness and investor appeal. In turn, competitively priced, long-term finance can support investment in modern aircraft, maintenance infrastructure, and operational capability.
The one-day Aviation Finance Forum will bring together airline CEOs and CFOs, development finance institutions, aircraft lessors, commercial banks, export credit agencies, OEMs, insurers, government ministries, and regulators. Discussions will cover Africa’s cost of capital, aviation financing models—particularly leasing—ways to reduce financing risk for African airlines, and the role of alliances and cooperation. The Forum will also consider practical responses to the regulatory, infrastructure, and financing constraints affecting SAATM implementation and intra-African connectivity under the AfCFTA. It will conclude with an Investor Roundtable on an Africa Aviation Financing Facility, bringing airline leaders and financiers together to turn dialogue into practical financing solutions.
Join these important initiatives to help shape the future of aviation maintenance in Africa and unlock capital for the continent’s aviation sector. For more information, visit the AFRAA website at www.afraa.org. We look forward to welcoming you to Cairo, Egypt, in April 2027— “Where it all Begins”!
