IATA calls on African governments to place aviation at the center of economic growth and integration
The International Air Transport Association, IATA, has once again called on African governments to treat aviation as strategic infrastructure, not as a luxury service intended for a narrow circle of passengers. The message was delivered at a time when the Focus Africa 2026 conference is being held in Addis Ababa on April 29 and 30, a gathering of airlines, regulators, decision-makers and industry partners dedicated to the safety, connectivity and operational efficiency of African air transport. IATA emphasizes that better organized, safer and more accessible air transport could have a direct effect on jobs, trade, tourism, investment and regional integration. At the center of the discussion, therefore, are not only air routes and airports, but also the broader development model of the continent, in which transport connectivity determines how quickly goods, capital, knowledge and people can move between markets.
According to IATA estimates published ahead of the previous cycle of discussions on African aviation, the sector already contributes about 75 billion US dollars to African GDP and supports approximately 8.1 million jobs. The association estimates that the African aviation market, with average annual growth of 4.1 percent over the next two decades, could double by 2044. Such growth, however, is not guaranteed by demographics or economic potential alone. Achieving it requires regulatory reforms, cost reductions, better implementation of safety standards, a functioning air transport market and the resolution of the problem of blocked airline revenues.
Aviation as development infrastructure, not an isolated industry
IATA’s call to African governments is based on the argument that air transport has a catalytic effect on the economy. When air connections are reliable and more affordable, companies find it easier to open new markets, exports find buyers more quickly, tourism gains a broader base of guests, and remote regions become more accessible to investors and public services. Conversely, high taxes, expensive airport charges, slow regulation and insufficient safety implementation can reduce the number of routes, limit competition and increase ticket prices. In such circumstances, aviation remains an underused development tool, even though in many parts of Africa air transport is precisely the fastest link between great distances and fragmented transport networks.
At the Focus Africa 2026 conference, IATA highlights three interconnected goals: safer operations, stronger connectivity within the continent and more efficient business activity along the entire aviation chain. This includes state regulators, civil aviation authorities, airports, ground service providers, air carriers, financial institutions and international organizations. The conference is being held in Ethiopia, a country where Addis Ababa is one of the main African aviation hubs, and the host of the event is Ethiopian Airlines, one of the most important carriers on the continent.
Safety remains the first issue for long-term growth
IATA warns that African aviation has made progress in safety in recent years, but that the implementation of international standards still lags behind the global average. According to data published by the association in July 2025, the average effective implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices in 46 of the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa stood at 59.49 percent. The global average was 69.16 percent, while the target was set at 75 percent. The gap does not mean that air transport on the continent is unsafe, but it shows that regulatory oversight, training, reporting and compliance with international rules are not equally developed in all countries.
The issue of runway excursions is particularly highlighted, as in 2024 it was the most common type among the ten reported aviation accidents in Africa. IATA therefore advocates renewed engagement by ICAO runway safety teams at airports and more consistent application of standards. An additional problem relates to accident investigations: according to IATA data, out of 42 accidents in Africa between 2018 and 2023, only eight final reports were published. Timely and transparent reports are important because recommendations for preventing the recurrence of similar events are derived from them, and without them the safety system learns more slowly from its own weaknesses.
Costs and charges can limit demand
The second major challenge concerns the price of air travel. IATA states that taxes and charges in African air transport are about 15 percent higher than the global average. For governments seeking budget revenues, aviation may look like a logical source of charges, but the industry warns that excessive taxation reduces demand and thereby limits the broader economic effect in the long term. If tickets are too expensive, there are fewer passengers, fewer business trips, fewer tourist arrivals and fewer opportunities to develop new routes. This problem is especially visible on short and medium regional routes, where the ticket price often determines whether passengers will choose air transport at all.
IATA does not claim that infrastructure does not need financing, but that charges must be transparent, proportionate and aligned with real development goals. When fees are used to build or modernize airports, it is important that projects be financially sustainable, scalable and agreed with the industry. Otherwise, there is a risk that expensive infrastructure will not lead to a greater number of flights, but to an additional burden on carriers and passengers. For a continent that wants to increase trade and connect regional markets, cost policy in aviation becomes a matter of industrial and development strategy.
Blocked airline revenues remain a serious obstacle
One of the most sensitive problems for international airlines in Africa is the inability to repatriate revenues earned from the sale of tickets and services in individual markets. In July 2025, IATA stated that about one billion US dollars in airline revenues were blocked in African countries, which at the time represented 73 percent of all blocked funds worldwide. In a newer global report from December 2025, IATA announced that, as of the end of October 2025, 1.2 billion dollars in airline revenues were blocked worldwide, with most of the problem relating to Africa and the Middle East.
For air carriers, blocked funds are not only an accounting problem. If a company cannot access the revenues it has earned in a market, it has more difficulty paying for fuel, aircraft leasing, maintenance, crews, airport services and other operating costs. Long-lasting restrictions can lead to reduced frequencies, the postponement of network expansion or a complete withdrawal from certain routes. The consequences are then borne not only by the companies, but also by passengers, exporters, the tourism sector and economies that depend on international connectivity.
SAATM as a test of political will for integration
Connectivity within Africa has been an attempt for years to improve through the Single African Air Transport Market, known as SAATM. It is an African Union initiative whose goal is to liberalize air transport, open regional markets to competition and remove restrictions stemming from outdated bilateral agreements. The African Civil Aviation Commission states that 38 countries have joined the solemn commitment to SAATM. The number itself shows political support, but implementation remains uneven, and it is precisely the gap between a signed commitment and the actual opening of markets that is one of the key obstacles.
SAATM is important because economic integration cannot be achieved only through trade agreements if physical connectivity remains weak. The African Continental Free Trade Area can reduce customs and administrative barriers, but goods, entrepreneurs, experts and investors still need reliable transport corridors. In that sense, air transport complements road, rail and maritime infrastructure. It is especially important for time-sensitive goods, business travel, high-value shipments, medical logistics and tourism. If regional markets open and safety and regulatory standards are harmonized, greater competition could encourage new routes and lower prices.
Sustainability and CORSIA in the African context
Alongside safety, costs and integration, IATA is increasingly emphasizing climate policy as well. The association recalls that CORSIA, the global mechanism for offsetting and reducing carbon dioxide emissions in international aviation, is the central market-based instrument agreed at ICAO level. The voluntary reporting phase runs from 2024 to 2026, and the mandatory phase begins in 2027. According to IATA, 129 countries participated in the program in 2025, including 20 African countries.
For African governments, the issue of sustainability has two dimensions. On the one hand, aviation must participate in the global reduction of emissions and avoid a fragmented system of national and regional charges that would increase costs without a clear effect. On the other hand, countries that develop eligible emission units can benefit from carbon markets and attract climate investment. IATA therefore calls on governments to support CORSIA as a single global framework, instead of introducing disconnected taxes that could further increase the cost of flights and weaken competitiveness.
What governments can do
IATA’s program for African aviation can be summarized in several reform directions that require cooperation between the public and private sectors.
- Align safety oversight with international standards: countries should strengthen civil aviation authorities, improve oversight of airports and operators, and accelerate the publication of accident reports in accordance with ICAO rules.
- Reduce the fiscal burden on air transport: taxes and charges should be designed so that they do not suppress demand and do not make regional flights inaccessible to a large part of the market.
- Remove obstacles to revenue repatriation: air carriers should be able to access revenues earned in the markets in which they operate, because otherwise connectivity becomes financially unsustainable.
- Accelerate the implementation of SAATM: liberalization of airspace and the removal of unnecessary bilateral restrictions can increase the number of routes and strengthen competition.
- Develop sustainability through global mechanisms: CORSIA and carbon markets can be more effective than disconnected tax measures if they are implemented consistently and with international cooperation.
The message from Addis Ababa therefore goes beyond the aviation industry itself. African aviation has the potential to become one of the supporting pillars of economic integration, but only if safety, regulatory, financial and environmental challenges are addressed at the same time. IATA’s pressure on governments reflects the industry’s view that growth will not happen automatically: political agreement, reliable implementation and a willingness to view air transport as public development infrastructure will be needed. Otherwise, the potential will remain limited by high costs, weak connectivity and uneven rules, while better coordinated reforms could turn air connections into concrete support for trade, tourism, employment and regional integration.
Sources:- IATA – release on priorities for strengthening aviation’s contribution to African growth (link)- IATA – official page of the Focus Africa 2026 conference in Addis Ababa (link)- African Union – explanation of the Single African Air Transport Market, SAATM, initiative (link)- African Civil Aviation Commission, AFCAC – list of countries that have joined SAATM (link)- IATA – report on blocked airline revenues as of the end of October 2025 (link)- ICAO – AFI Plan 2025–2030 for strengthening safety oversight in African aviation (link)
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