The conference will bring together aviation stakeholders from across the continent to examine progress made under the Focus Africa initiative and identify priorities for strengthening the development of the African aviation sector.
Kamil Alawadhi, Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East at The International Air Transport Association, said: “Aviation has the potential to do much more to enable Africa’s economic and social development. Improving safety, harmonizing regulations, and reducing costs while increasing operational efficiency are at the top of the agenda for this edition of the IATA Focus Africa Conference. The demand to support 3-4% growth annually is there. Focus Africa aims to align the continent’s aviation stakeholders in taking the pragmatic steps needed to turn potential into a sustainable reality.”
Ethiopian Airlines hosted the inaugural Focus Africa Conference in 2023. Since then, the Focus Africa initiative has contributed to several developments across the region.
These include support for the roll-out of API-PNR programmes in 12 African countries, a range of regional safety initiatives, and the establishment of new settlement operations in Sierra Leone and South Sudan through the BSP system, as well as in Ghana and Ivory Coast through the CASS programme.
The initiative has also introduced IATA Easy Pay in Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Congo, Mauritius and Sierra Leone, helping to address payment limitations for travel agents and cash flow challenges for airlines.
The 2026 conference will review these developments and explore further actions to advance safety, connectivity and operational performance across African aviation.
Speakers scheduled to participate include Kamil Alawadhi, Alemu Sime Feyisa, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mesfin Tasew, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, de Villiers Engelbrecht, Chief Executive Officer of Airlink, and George Kamal, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Airways.
Additional participants include Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission, Abderahmane Berthe, Secretary General of the African Airlines Association, Aaron Munetsi, Chief Executive Officer of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa, and Mohammed Mazi, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Ground Services.
The conference programme will include keynote speeches, panel discussions and presentations focused on strengthening aviation safety standards and oversight, expanding intra-African connectivity and supporting the Single African Air Transport Market.
Discussions will also address operational efficiency across the aviation value chain through improved processes, digital innovation and cost management.
Tags: Kamil Alawadhi, The International Air Transport Association Ethiopian Airlines
