African airlines may have escaped the worst of the economic downturn, thanks to their cash-based economy, but they have their fair share of problems to tackle.
Pan-African air transport liberalisation is making painfully slow progress, as national and commercial interests continue to clash, and authorities are pushing forward in their battle to keep the continent’s skies safe.
Meanwhile foreign carriers, wounded by the global meltdown, are seeking to tap the lucrative African market. Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Girma Wake says: “I think there is more focus on Africa now than ever before. Airlines would rather fly to Africa than park their aircraft. One attraction is yield, another is weak competition. Why use your aircraft on the Atlantic with strong competitors when you can move them to Africa?"
Between 22 and 24 November African airline leaders gathered in Mozambique to debate these issues at the 2009 African Airlines Association’s Annual General Assembly. Check out our coverage, which reveals that co-operation is the way forward…