African Pilot Weekly Magazine 17:2026

In this on-camera interview with African Pilot Magazine, Abderahmane Berthé, Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), outlines key priorities following the inaugural AFRAA African MRO Conference.

Berthé highlights the lack of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity across the continent, noting that many African airlines are required to send aircraft outside Africa for maintenance. The focus is on scaling local capacity to retain value, reduce costs, and support job creation and skills development within the continent.

There is a need for stronger collaboration across the industry, alongside regulatory alignment, including cross-recognition of MRO activities and engineer certifications, as well as the development of continental airworthiness rules to support cross-border operations.

Berthé also notes that digital transformation is critical to improving efficiency, with an emphasis on integrated systems, data quality, and the infrastructure required to support future growth in MRO activity. He also touches on longer-term considerations, including the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in Africa and the importance of scaling supply to improve economic viability.

AFRAA’s next steps include continued engagement through future MRO conferences and the upcoming aviation stakeholder convention and safety and operations summit in Johannesburg.

Don’t miss the 14th Aviation Stakeholders Convention and 3rd African Aviation Safety and Operations Summit from 17 to 20 May 2026, hosted by South African Airways in Johannesburg, South Africa.

As the inaugural AFRAA African MRO Conference 2026 in Addis Ababa, held from 29 to 31 March 2026, concluded, Maureen Kahonge, Director Commercial and Communications at the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), provided African Pilot Magazine with a post-event report back, outlining the event’s key outcomes and next steps.

The event brought together more than 400 delegates and 41 African airlines, marking the first collective MRO conference staged by AFRAA in collaboration with founding MRO providers.

Kahonge set out several proposed actions aimed at improving cost efficiencies, including spare parts pooling and joint procurement of aircraft consumables such as hydraulic oil, tyres and brakes.

She also highlighted the need for closer collaboration across the ecosystem, including airlines, OEMs, MRO providers, regulators, and governments, noting ongoing fragmentation, particularly in regulatory frameworks, and the need for greater coordination at state level.

AFRAA intends to track progress through quarterly engagements with member airlines and integrate the outcomes into its annual action plans and next five-year strategic framework.

The AFRAA MRO event is set to become an annual platform focused on measurable outcomes.