IATA Africa Aviation Day Marked in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  (WIC) – IATA Africa Aviation Association is marked in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia focusing to drive the benefit of Aviation across the continent on 16 March, 2013. African Airlines Association celebrates the day in cooperation with International Air Transport Association.

The Day talks about African aviation safety strategies, financing aviation infrastructure, fuel impact on air transport in Africa and driving benefits of African aviation.

In a press conference held at the sidelines of the Aviation Day CEO of Ethiopian, Tewolde GebreMariam said despite the growth opportunities for Air travel in the continent, African Aviation is suffering of high fuel costs, which is double of the price of air fuel in Europe, “The price of fuel in Europe on average is around US$3-3.5 per liter, but here in Africa air fuel is costing as US$ 6 per liter on average. The causes may range from huge tax on air fuel to additional transport costs on fuel in landlocked countries.”

More than 6o per cent of Ethiopian’s flight is in Africa and the fuel factor is hitting Ethiopian much harder in that regard.

Talking about growth prospects for the airline industry in Africa, he reckoned, it is time for African countries to stop seeking to have flag carrier as it doesn’t make sense in business terms. “Many flag carriers in Africa are ending being subsidized by their governments as they fail to make profits. This is happening for they are established just to hold their national flag on their tails.”

He encourages African countries to consider economic sense of the industry and to seek to work in cooperation like Ethiopian and ASKY do to meet much needed connectivity and commodity demands of the traffic.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleets of Ethiopian will resume flights as soon as they meet the satisfaction of the American authority, may be in a week time or so. We have so far received 4 such Dreamliners; they are technologically advanced and ahead of the fleets in service over the world. Besides, 787 Boeing aircrafts are fuel efficient, environmentally friendly and highly comfortable for travelers, Tewolde reaffirmed the journalists in attendance.

According to ERTA, like any technology in the World, new innovations need time to mature and that is what is happening with Boeing 787 fleets, the CEO of Ethiopian reemphasized the confidence he has on Boeing new advanced fleet which Ethiopian is the first to own in the continent.