Aviation industry experts will meet in Windhoek, Namibia next month to deliberate on the growth of air transport in Africa, which is seen as the beckoning air traffic market in the world.
They will also deliberate on how to strengthen the region’s airlines to play dominant role in the continent, improving airport infrastructure and the progress being made to ensure safe operations.The President of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba, will officially open the 18th Aviation & Allied Business Leadership Conference holding at the Windhoek Country Club Resort & Casino in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city. According to the organisers, several government and private sector dignitaries had confirmed participation at this major event including high-level representatives of African governments, the US government through the Department of Transport (DoT) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), private sector and multilateral organisations like the International Civil Aviation Orgnanisation (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC). Others include major aircraft manufacturers like Airbus, Bombardier, ATR, amongst others, as well as Africa’s best aviation experts and their counterparts from Europe, North America and the Middle East. This year, the conference will focus on the theme: “Air Transport Development: Rethinking Africa’s Strategy,” while over 250 delegates will be attending the conference, making the Conference a hot-spot for investors seeking new opportunities in Africa and providing a huge opportunity for industry partners to interact. Some of the speakers and facilitators outlined for the event include Mr. Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO, Ethiopian Airlines; Ms. Theo Namases, Managing Director, Air Namibia; Mr. John Mirenge, CEO, RwandAir; Mr. Alphonse Kioko, Managing Director, Precision Air; and Mr. Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President International & Public Affairs, Etihad Airways.
Others include Mr. Theunis Potgieter, GM Commercial, South African Airways; Mr. Othman Chaoui, Airline & Product Marketing Manager, ATR; and Mr. Sam Munda, Sales Director, SITA. Also listed are Mr. Meshesha Belayneh, Regional Director East & Southern Africa Region & Chief ACIP, ICAO; Ms. Susan McDermott, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, US Department of Transport; Engr. Stephen Gichuki, MD, Kenya Airports, and Mr. George Uriesi, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
The conference will re-assess the state of air transport growth and development in Africa under the prevailing economic trend in Africa and other economies with strong bearing on the continent, while seeking more workable options for advancing practical improvement in the sector. The conference is also designed to x-ray major aspects of air transport including safety and security, sustainable financing, policy innovation, capacity building in addition to airports and airlines development. The conference will equally re-define the interface between the public and private sectors of the air transport industry in Africa to nurture real development in specific aviation sub-sectors. Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com
