African airlines are confronting significant challenges related to aircraft maintenance and spare parts logistics, according to industry leaders speaking at the Africa MRO Conference in Addis Ababa. The discussion underscored how regional support infrastructure deficiencies have led to aircraft grounding, elevated operational costs, and reputational risks for carriers across the continent.
Uganda Airlines and Kenya Airways provided detailed assessments of the crisis, highlighting persistent parts shortages, logistical delays, and limited regional MRO capacity that hinder timely repairs. Deborah Acore Luciyamoi, materials manager at Uganda Airlines, noted that the lack of sufficient MRO facilities capable of engine repairs results in long delays—often weeks—and elevated costs. She emphasized the need for a regional warehouse to reduce lead times to one day and mitigate operational disruptions.
Further complicating the situation, volatile pricing and the proliferation of counterfeit parts threaten safety and reliability. Luciyamoi pointed out discrepancies in quotes for spare parts and the difficulty in physically verifying supplier credentials. Visa restrictions on airline executives traveling to Europe, the UK, and the US also hamper their ability to engage with international stakeholders directly.
Benson Ndirangu Kamau from Kenya Airways highlighted how delays in parts procurement and customs clearance exacerbate aircraft groundings, with sourcing times ranging from three days to two weeks. He stressed that regional capability development and streamlined government processes are essential to breaking this cycle.
Looking to solutions, industry leaders cited successful models from Latin America, where adopted practices—such as approved parts and shared logistics platforms—have improved supply chain resilience. A collaborative platform developed with the International Air Transport Association helps airlines compare prices and identify alternative parts, a tool that could be adapted to strengthen African operations amidst ongoing challenges.
