UAE: Aviation Africa 2015 Revealed African Aviation Potentials In Dubai

The Aviation Africa 2015 Summit held on May 10 - 11 at Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai highlighted the enormous potential of the aviation market in Africa.

The event initiated crucial dialogues between key aviation stakeholders on the social, economic and political impact of a variety of future improvements to infrastructure in Africa.

Aviation Africa converged over 400 delegates that cut acrossed government and civil aviation authorities; senior airline management; business aviation operators and specialists with 40 exhibitors from the aviation industry.

Prominent among the key speakers at the forum who discussed on the untapped aviation market's significant opportunities are Mr. Girma Wake, Chairman, RwandAir; Hon. Dzifa Aku Attivor, Minister of Transport for Ghana; Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports; Tarek Ragheb, Chairman, AfBAA - African Business Aviation Association; Achuzie Ezenagu, CEO, Toucan Aviation, Nigeria; Dr Hamdi Chaouk, Managing Partner, Aviation Minds, Lebanon; Ed Winter, CEO of Fastjet, Tanzania.

The speakers included Hussein Dabbas, Vice President, Africa & Middle East, International Air Transport Association -IATA; Dr Mohammed Rahma, undersecretary international and Internal Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Egypt; Juan Carlos Salazar, air transport advisor, GCAA, UAE; Hennie Marais, Executive ATM, ATNS-Air Traffic and Navigation Services, South Africa; and Abdulai Alhassan, Director General, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.

Prior to the forum, Alan Peaford MBE, event organiser and summit Chairman had said "If you look at the sheer potential of just a handful of African airlines, routes and airports, you realise just how enormous an impact Africa can have on the future of aviation, and moreover you can clearly see just how beneficial a progressive aviation industry can be for the socio-economic future of the continent".

At the opening ceremony, Alan Peaford MBE, editor in chief, Arabian Aerospace and African Aerospace said: "This is a two-way opportunity for delegates to come together, share experiences, find out what worked in the Middle East, and could work in Africa, change perceptions and explore new opportunities.

"There has been unprecedented growth in the region - seven out of the top 10 fastest-growing countries in the world are in Africa."

He added that aviation currently supports more than 6.9 million jobs across the continent and more than $800 billion in GDP across African nations.

The two-day event was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman of Dubai Airports, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

The Hon. Dzifa Aku Attivor, Minister of Transport for Ghana, gave a keynote address on how government cooperation with the aviation industry is key. She said that the industry must be seen as a national asset and an economic driver for Africa.