In a significant move to improve the aviation industry across Africa, IATA, the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA), and the Airlines Association of Africa (AFRAA) are collaborating to address the growing concern over high charges and safety standards. During AFRAA’s Annual General Meeting in Angola, these organizations emphasized the importance of unifying efforts to reduce the financial burden on airlines and enhance safety protocols.
Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East, recommended quarterly meetings among the associations to develop a coordinated plan aimed at tackling safety and cost issues on the continent. He highlighted that African airlines are currently operating with a profit of only $1.2 per seat, compared to the global average of $7.7, reflecting a significant financial strain caused by rising taxes and charges.
Supporting this view, Lemma Yadecha Gudeta, Ethiopian Airlines' Chief Commercial Officer, noted that excessive taxes, especially those financing new systems like the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), contribute heavily to the operational challenges. He pointed out that some nations are imposing charges that are disproportionate to the actual costs, such as Nigeria’s APIS fee, which was negotiated down from $50 to $11.50 per passenger.
Safety concerns remain critical, with IATA’s 2024 Annual Safety Report indicating that Africa’s accident rate of 10.59 per million flights is far above the global average of 1.13. Al-Awadhi announced plans to launch two major safety initiatives during the upcoming IATA Focus Africa event in Ethiopia in April 2026, with the goal of significantly raising the safety standards across the continent.
