AFRAA or better known as African Airlines Association and The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are currently working towards establishing a closer collaboration platform.
The announcement was made by His Excellency Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat. This happened during the 55th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of AFRAA held from November 19th to 21st, 2023, in Kampala, Uganda.
The event was held under the High Patronage of the Government of Uganda. At the same time, It was officiated by H.E Jessica Rose Epel Alupo, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda.
The Assembly, brought together 569 delegates from 49 countries under the theme “Strides to Transform Aviation for Development”. It challenged African airlines and air transport stakeholders with new thinking. These include on initiatives and strategies that will drive the sustainability of the air transport sector to realize its potential.
Likewise, the event witnessed the induction of five prominent airlines as well as two other strategic partners. This marked a significant milestone for the association.
Among the latest airline members are Eswatini Air, Ibom Air, MedSky Airways, Zambia Airways, and Airlink.
Currently, the AfCFTA Is the world’s largest free trade area. It brings together 55 countries of the African Union and eight Regional Economic Communities.
The overall mandate of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market with a combined GDP of approximately $3.4trn. It aims to eliminate trade barriers and boost intra-Africa trade.
AfCFTA’s objective is to create single continental market for goods & services. This helps to promote free movement of people and investments, enhancing competitiveness and supporting economic transformation.
Also Read: African Airlines Record Improved Results in Latest AFRAA Report
African Summit on Safety and Operations Set for May 2024
AFRAA in collaboration with the Flight Safety Foundation, announced the inaugural African Summit. The summit on Safety and Operations will take place next year in May.
The aim of the “historic” aviation safety summit, is to bring together industry stakeholders. They will ce together to discuss, develop strategies, and collaborate in shaping a safer future for African aviation.
More so, the event will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It will kick off from May 12 to 15, 2024. The event will partner with the Flight Safety Foundation, alongside AFRAA’s annual convention.
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EgyptAir to Host 56th AFRAA Annual General Assembly in 2024
EgyptAir, is the national airline of Egypt. The airline will host the 56th Annual General Assembly (AGA). Currently, the assembly will hold the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in November 2024.
AFRAA confirmed the announcement on Tuesday, November 21, during the closing ceremony of its 55th AGA. This was in accordance with tradition, EgyptAir, will be the next host. Additionally, it will hold the position of the President of AFRAA for a one-year term.
On the other hand, LAM Mozambique will hold the position of the President of the Executive Committee. Likewise, Kenya Airways and Tunisair will represent AFFRA as the First and Second Vice Presidents, respectively.