Aviation industry players should take advantage of the growing demand for air transport to grow their operations and create jobs for the youth, Dr Abu Sufian Dafalla, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) director for infrastructure, has said.

"As  more African economies become stronger, air transport will increasingly become popular among business people and other travelers. It is therefore imperative for regional airlines to prepare for this and be part of this growth,” Dafalla told The New Times in an exclusive interview at the recently-concluded Comesa Aviation Summit in Kigali.

Dafalla, however, noted that there was still lack of strong co-ordination in the industry, which he said was affecting the sector’s progress.

"There is also need to invest more in infrastructure development and integration of aviation systems to make air transport more affordable,” Dafalla noted. 

He added that this would ensure value for money and make the sector safer.  

Rosemary Mukwane, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) director for infrastructure services, was concerned that travel and cargo fees are still high, noting that this was  hurting demand. 

"So, it is important to harmonise systems regionally or throughout the continent to bring down the cost and ultimately make air travel more affordable,” Mukwane said.

Ali Aymen Osman, the chief transport engineer at the African Development Bank, advised countries to partner and commit resources towards having a streamlined air transport industry across the Africa.

"While civil aviation authorities do their part, it’s important for the financial sector   to play a key role in terms of availing credit,” Osman, said on the sidelines of the summit.

Rwanda was recently appointed to head the Comesa steering committee. Also, the Comesa Communication Navigation Surveillance /Air Traffic Management project was recently launched in Rwanda.

According to François, Kanimba, the Minister for Trade and Industry, the project will centralise air traffic control for the entire Comesa bloc, allowing seamless flow of air traffic and strengthen air communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic organisation to enhance aviation security and safety.