IATA: African aviation expected to quadruple over the next two decades, but challenges abound

IATA VP Africa Raphael Kuuchi, speaking (13-Nov-2017) on behalf of director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac at the African Airlines Association AGM, said Africa is the "region with the greatest aviation potential", projecting the scale of aviation in the continent will quadruple over the next two decades, with 300 million passengers by 2035. Mr Kuuchi noted that regional aviation also faces great challenges, with regional airlines expected to lose USD1.50 per passenger in 2017. He emphasised that regional taxes, fuel prices and infrastructure charges are higher than the global average. In addition insufficient safety oversight, failure to follow global standards, and restrictive air service agreements could all add to the burden on regional aviation. [more - original PR]