Speaking at the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Annual General Assembly in Luanda, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Secretary General, Ms Adefunke Adeyemi, framed improving connectivity as a practical measure of policy alignment and delivery, describing it as an indicator of how effectively government policy decisions are translating into operational reality across the aviation ecosystem.
With the assembly convened under the theme Sustainable skies, and a connected Africa, Adeyemi noted that Africa’s aviation moment is now shaped by shifting trade lanes, returning demand and a new generation of travellers who expect reliability, affordable fares and a seamless end-to-end experience. She warned that hesitation and scepticism risk allowing African markets to “leak across borders and oceans”, while coordinated action could unlock growth.
Four pillars guiding AFCAC’s agenda
Adeyemi outlined four ideas that guide AFCAC’s work: accessibility and connectivity, affordability, sustainability, and people.
On accessibility and connectivity, she stressed that implementation becomes visible when states act and operators follow. When market access is standardised or harmonised, she said, routes and corridors appear, schedules improve, and cargo moves “when and where it matters the most”. Connectivity, she added, depends not only on access but on how routes are developed and operated by market players.
Affordability, she said, remains a systemic constraint. She argued that market growth is impossible if African travellers cannot afford tickets, and located the problem in total operating costs rather than airline margins alone. Excessive taxes, fees, charges and levies, she said, choke demand and prevent growth, while transparent and harmonised frameworks can unlock it.
On sustainability, Adeyemi positioned it as part of the same operational agenda, not a separate track. She linked competitiveness to efficient networks, modern fleets, innovative air traffic procedures, green ground operations, credible low-carbon pathways and resilient airports.
The fourth pillar, people, focused on building capacity in a continent with an average age of 19, but what she described as an “average aviation age” of 59. She posed the challenge directly: how do we close the gap through opportunities for young professionals and women in aviation?
AFCAC in practice
Adeyemi described AFCAC’s work as centred on concrete implementation measures.
First, she said AFCAC continues to promote aviation as a strategic enabler of economic and national development, citing Angola as an example of how airport infrastructure and ecosystem-wide policy alignment can translate into tangible transformation.
Second, she emphasised sustained political focus on the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) and SAATM, stating that the framework remains relevant. She called for standardised access through the YD, noting that different states have historically used different models of air service agreements. The YD, she said, should serve as the foundation and guideline for standardising agreements aligned with its provisions, even while the continent continues to operate within bilateral constructs.
She pointed to route development as evidence of momentum, stating that 114 new routes have launched and are being operated. While acknowledging that this is not yet the “big bang” many want, she said it will come eventually, describing the trend as upward and signalling a growing market, with airlines beginning to take advantage where they are ready.
Adeyemi also highlighted ongoing work to consolidate SAATM implementation by “moving from signatures to service”. She referenced standardisation and harmonisation efforts, including work on an economic regulation template in collaboration with AFRAA, as well as a dispute resolution mechanism that is operational and already receiving complaints. She added that AFCAC provides practical guidance to states to help authorities approve new city pairs with confidence.
Third, on sustainability-related readiness, she said AFCAC has identified 60 critical infrastructure gaps across 41 African countries, covering around 90 percent of the intra-African market. These gaps have been prioritised into six areas, including aircraft fleet and equipage, MRO and maintenance services, performance-based navigation, communications systems, air navigation and air transport service systems, and sustainable aviation fuel and related businesses. She said the next step is to convert these gaps into project opportunities with partners, including the World Bank, through targeted country project development.
Fourth, she returned to investing in people, calling for training pipelines, mutual recognition of licences, mentorship and leadership programmes, and “real jobs that keep talent on the continent”.
Adeyemi closed with an appeal directed at airlines to lean in to SAATM and treat it as their own, designing schedules that “prove the thesis” rather than defending the status quo. She urged deeper cooperation between airlines to build corridor strategies, evaluate reforms and engage ministers “with authority”. She also called on airlines to share data, in anonymised, standardised and protected form, to support evidence-based advocacy and stronger business cases.
