In an exclusive interview with ENA, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General, Willie Walsh said Ethiopian Airlines is a very successful airline well recognized right across the world.
“I think if you look at Ethiopian Airlines, it is a model for what can be done in other parts of Africa,” he elaborated.
Ethiopian is a member of the Star Alliance and has seen significant growth investment in new aircraft. It has expanded its network, and unlike many airlines around the world, it’s actually now trading with more passengers than it had in 2019.
“A lot of the world is still recovering from the pandemic. Ethiopian Airlines is actually operating ahead of where it was in 2019. I think it demonstrates the potential that exists and the opportunity for not just for Ethiopian Airlines but for other airlines in Africa. I think it is a great example of what can happen,” he elaborated.
Speaking on the importance of the implementation of Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), he said “I believe that a Single African Air Transport Market is a fantastic opportunity.”
Mentioning examples in Europe, he said that Europe has deregulated and allowed airlines to compete and to operate right across Europe.
It has transformed the industry and it has been so much better for consumers, he said, adding it has given consumers more choice, cheaper fares and greater access.
He stated that the same potential exists in Africa.
“The countries have signed a memorandum of understanding. What we need to do now is to move forward, ratify that agreement and implement it so that consumers in Africa can benefit in the same way as we have seen in Europe and other parts of the world,” Walsh urged.
Moreover, he elaborated that the opportunity of the aviation industry in Africa is huge but the industry is small relative to the global industry.
“I have to say, I think the opportunity for Africa is huge. The industry here is small relative to the global industry, and about 2.1 percent. But when you look at the population of Africa and the opportunities, the resources, everything there, suggests to me that the future for aviation here is very positive,”
Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Adefunke Adeyemi said on her part that Ethiopian Airlines today is the largest carrier in Africa. “They (Ethiopian) are playing an important role in integrating the continent, through their hub and many routes that they have. We really appreciate and support their commitment to integrate into the continent. We are collaborating with them and other stakeholders to do that,”she indicated.
Noting the opportunities for African aviation are immense, she stressed it needs to connect Africa though aviation properly.
“Aviation can play a very key role in integrating the continent like it does for other regions of the world. It is really, really important for Africa in particular because of our size, and also our population mass. There is a great opportunity,” she pointed out.
Noting aviation is also a critical component of the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA), she said that “we need that to work together and really important for us to embrace it.”
However, currently the biggest challenge of African aviation is that they were fragmented terms of access to operate into countries and access to airspace. “We have to operate Africa as a more domestic and holistic Pan African market,” Adeyemi underscored.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency