JOHANNESBURG, May 19 (Xinhua) -- African airlines have called for stronger cooperation to tackle rising operating costs, regulatory fragmentation and other challenges facing the continent's aviation industry.
The call was made at the 14th Aviation Stakeholders Convention held in Johannesburg from Sunday to Tuesday, which brought together airlines, regulators, airport authorities, financiers, and aviation solution providers from nearly 50 countries.
Abderahmane Berthe, secretary general of the African Airlines Association, said African airlines are operating in an uncertain global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, rising costs, currency pressures, aircraft availability constraints and infrastructure gaps.
Africa's aviation industry remains fragmented, with multiple regulatory frameworks and restrictive bilateral air services agreements, Berthe said, adding that collaboration is no longer optional but necessary.
"The ambition is to build an African aviation industry that connects this continent affordably and safely. That ambition requires partnerships built on mutual commitment and empowerment, and it requires profitability," he said.
Matshela Seshibe, acting chief executive officer (CEO) of South African Airways, said African airlines need to work together to achieve sustainability and long-term competitiveness.
He cited the 2021 memorandum of cooperation between South African Airways and Kenya Airways as an example of airline collaboration, saying the agreement has helped the two carriers share customers traveling between their hubs in Johannesburg and Nairobi.
George Kamal, acting group CEO of Kenya Airways, said African countries should invest more in aviation infrastructure and further liberalize air transport across the continent.
South Africa's removal of visa requirements for Kenyan citizens has contributed to an increase in Kenyan visitors to South Africa, showing how policy coordination can support regional air travel, he added.
