Airlines and aviation stakeholders will meet in Johannesburg from 28 – 30 April 2015 at the 4th Annual Aviation Stakeholders Convention. The Convention is organised by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) with the aim to create a comprehensive forum in Africa that brings together users and providers of aviation products, solutions and services all under one roof. This year’s Aviation Stakeholders Convention is expected to bring together over 350 delegates across the globe from airlines, airports, civil aviation organisations, air traffic navigation service providers, aircraft/engine manufacturers, component suppliers, IT, catering, fuel, training and other service providers to the aviation industry.
Convened under the under the theme: “Building and Sustaining Strong Partnerships” the Convention is being held under the patronage of the Department of Transport of the Republic of South Africa and will be officially opened by Honourable Dipuo Peters, the Minister of Transport. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Regional Director for the Eastern & Southern African Office, South Africa Civil Aviation Authority Director General of Civil Aviation, South Africa Airways, Ag. Chief Executive Officer, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Vice President for Africa and the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Secretary General are among the event keynote speakers.
According to the Secretary General of AFRAA, Dr. Elijah Chingosho, “This is an initiative by AFRAA to create a platform for users and suppliers of aviation products, solutions and services to convene and discuss industry trends, network and forge beneficial partnerships with the view to ultimately improve the aviation support base in the continent.” The event provides an outstanding brand visibility and business opportunity for industry partners and suppliers of equipment, components, solutions and services. Africa has huge growth opportunities for the aviation industry. This is being spurred by strong growth of African economies, a widening middle income class and the influx of foreign investments. “Our objective is to facilitate the exploitation of these opportunities by the various stakeholders including: regulators, operators, suppliers and other stakeholders in the continent through forging of win-win business relationships,” Dr. Chingosho added.
In addition to the conference plenary sessions, the programme has been structured to incorporate scheduled one-to-one appointments where delegates can schedule exclusive meetings with airlines, selected airports, CAAs, IATA, ICAO and AFRAA. There will also be master classes where cutting edge ideas, industry best practices, new opportunities and practical solutions will be presented and discussed. The following masterclasses have been scheduled: i. Aircraft Ownership – Lease vs. Purchase by Boeing. ii. Fare Management for airlines by ATPCO iii. Head Up Guidance Technologies enabling more efficient airline operations by Rockwell Collins Registration for the conference is on-going via the dedicated convention website: http://asc.afraa.org. There will also be an exhibition of products, solutions and services by aviation suppliers in different categories.
The Stakeholders Convention will be proudly sponsored by: Atlantic FuelEx, ATNS, Barclays Africa, Cronos Air, Engen, GE Aviation, Hahnair, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, SITA, South Africa Civil Aviation Authority and UAS International Trip Support. Suppliers and/or service providers will benefit from the outstanding visibility, networking and direct sales opportunities by displaying their products and interacting with delegates at the conference. The current exhibitors include: African Aerospace, APG, Avianet, Cronos Airlines, EgyptAir Training Center, Ethiopian MRO & Training Academy, FLYHT, GE Aviation, HADID International, Kenya Airways MRO & Pride Center, LH Systems, MTU Maintenance, Rockwell Collins, SAA Learning & Development, Sabre Airline Solutions, SITA, South Africa Civil Aviation Authority, South African Airways Technical, South African Express, Swahili Aviation Aerospace, TCR, Travelport International Ltd, Tunisair Technics, UAS International Trip Support and Wirecard.
