Talatona — The Secretary of State for the Civil Aviation, Maritime and Port Sectors, Rui Carreira, recognized, this Monday, in Luanda, the importance of Angola in strengthening intra-African air connectivity and in the development of its national airline, TAAG.
According to the official, who spoke on the sidelines of the 57th Annual General Meeting of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), this is a fundamental time to reflect on the challenges of the sector, such as infrastructure, aircraft and personnel training, in addition to providing better solutions circulation within the continent.
He stated that the opening of new routes within Africa still faces economic challenges, given the low purchasing power of the population, which limits demand for travel.
“It is very important that states engage in trade exchanges among African countries. Today, there is more trade between Africa and Europe, America and Asia than between African countries,” he said.
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In his view, aviation is essential for the development of economies and the promotion of intra-African tourism, which is already on the rise on the continent.
He explained that Angola is exploring its tourism potential, which contributes to the increase in traffic within the continent.
He also stressed that TAAG will be strengthened to become an international reference company, with fleet expansion, increased destination network and improved operational performance.
According to Rui Carreira, the inauguration of the Dr. António Agostinho Neto (AIAAN), represents a decisive step to make these plans viable.
“The new airport is our “taxi-free” at the moment, it strengthens all the intentions of growth and connectivity,” he stressed.
He reported that, after Emirates, Air France started operations last Sunday (30) and Tuesday (2) will be the turn of TAP and Lufthansa, with a view to reinforcing the importance of the airport as a regional hub.
He also clarified that the insertion of new aircraft is the responsibility of the TAAG and that the tutelage of the Ministry only defines the strategic positioning, without interfering with the operational management.
He added that the fees charged in the sector reflect the high cost of services in Africa and not the performance of the airlines.
As for the event, he said AFRAA’s annual meetings result in ongoing reports and initiatives aimed at strengthening commitment to the growth of African aviation.
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He reiterated that the conferences do not exhaust the concerns of the industry throughout the year and that several initiatives are being promoted to equalize the major problems and increase connectivity between the countries.
Angola closes the rotating presidency of AFRAA at this assembly, passing it to Gabon.
The 57th edition of the Annual General Assembly of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) takes place until Tuesday (2), in the Angolan capital (Luanda), with the participation of 23 companies of the continent, 519 delegates from 49 countries of the world, the event is called ” sustainable, sky, Africa connected”.
Also participating are executive directors of African airlines, senior representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Also present are industry partners, international leaders of the global civil aviation industry ecosystem, specialists, observers and two African airlines not members of AFRAA.
The meeting aims to discuss the challenges of air transport development in Africa, strategies to integrate the continent, strengthening economic links, innovative solutions for the sector, advances, technologies, sustainability and competitiveness.
