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To meet with the growing pace of air traffic and to ensure that the aviation industry is not lacking in seasoned manpower in the sector, Aviators Africa Academy and Aviadev have partnered with Ethiopian Airlines and other aviation companies to inspire young people to take an interest the sub sector.
Speaking at an event organised to intimate students on the possibilities and potentials inherent in the aviation industry, held in Lagos, CEO Aviators Africa Academy, Toni Ukachukwu said the Aviators Africa school club was born out of the initiative to inspire the next generation in the aviation and aerospace.
He stated that most people in the aviation sector in Africa got in there accidentally, adding that what the club out is out to do was make deliberate effort to inspiring the young ones to pursue carriers in this sector.
He said: “Sometimes it is looking like it is not assessable and expensive, so we are trying to break that notion. And also in the next 20 years there is going to be a stale gap in the aviation sector in Africa. We are going to be needing close to 24, 000 pilots, about 25, 000 technicians and 29, 000 cabin crew. With the way we are going there is going to be a shortage, so we thought to mitigate this we need to start catching them young and inspiring them so that they can grow the passion by familiarising themselves with the environment.”
Also at the event, Manager, Sales and Business Development, Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy, Mrs Tigist Terefe said the airline was pleased to be partnering with the academy. She said the Ethiopian airlines academy has been providing assistance to other Africans countries in the area personnel training since the establishment of its training centre.
She stated that the carrier is ready to provide technical assistance to other training institutes in Nigeria adding that one of the strategies of the airlines was to setup training hubs in Africa.
She said: “Ethiopian airlines academy is the training arm of Ethiopian airlines. We have been in the training business for a long time and we feel there is a lot to be shared in terms of the experiences and telling the success stories to similar training institute in Africa. Ethiopian airlines as an airline is doing a lot for other African carriers in terms of training, strategy and partnership, helping in the management and setting up of airlines. So, we have had lots of experiences in training, we feel it is possible there is something we can do in Nigeria as well. In our strategic discussions in our agenda we are creating, nurturing partnership and corporation with other similar institutes. So we can do the same with other similar partners inclusive of Nigeria as well. So setting up training hubs in Africa is one of our strategies, so it is something we can do here.”
Terefe added that the signing of the Single Africa Air Transport Market Signed in Addis earlier in the by African Heads of State will further create more job opportunities for the young ones.
“As an airline we feel it creates more job opportunities for the young ones, increases connectivity for all operators, mobility and also positively contribute to the growth of aviation in Africa. So are very positive about it, Ethiopian airlines have been a key player in the process” she said.
Speaking also at the event, Managing Director and Founder of AviaDev, Jon Howell, noted that aviation is the catalyst that is going to drive Africa’s development saying that the next generation is key to that growth.
“The average age of an aircraft engineer in Africa is 52 years. So when they retire soon, who is going to take that place? Is it going to be people like me, we don’t want that? So that is another reason we are delighted to be joined by Ethiopian airlines academy which is always constantly providing an array of platforms and a very dedicated part to success for aspiring aviators. And we would love to have a similar institution here in Nigeria.”
