Fly 540 Africa

Category: News

  • More Skilled Technicians Needed In Aviation Maintenance Technology

    The Aviation Maintenance Technology degrees program offer students a good overview to aviation maintenance as it currently is understood as well as experienced by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mechanics who are certificate holders with power plant or airframe ratings.

    Shortage

    There’s an actual shortage of skilled, and well-qualified technicians in the aviation maintenance technology of the aviation industry, and Spartan graduates are servingto fill the gap. The 2017 Boeing Outlook Report predictions more than 648,000 airline maintenance technicians will be required by 2036. Train to become an aviation electronics technician in as little as 14 months.

    Without you we don’t fly

    Large companies such as Delta, United, and American recruit straight from Spartan. They have been a leading benefactor of qualitied graduates for over the last 90 years. Their AET program is NCATT qualified and our graduates have probabilities to work for some of the leaders in the aerospace, communication, robotics, and UAV industries.

    You don’t need 4 years of training

    Choosing the right college is one of the more important decisions you will make in your life. To find out if you and Spartan are a good fit, please fill out the brief form on their website. They will contact you to discuss training options and provide answers to any questions you might have.

    Responsibility

    As an AET, you have the responsibility for the manufacturing, maintenance, and operation of the electrical systems on an aircraft. This includes radar, communication and avionics systems. The FAA has recently unlocked the door for commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones and as a result mandate is building for competent AET’s able to build, program and fly UAVs in applications ranging from military to Hollywood.

    Classes

    They have classes in Tulsa, Denver, Los Angeles and Inland Empire and teach all the information you need to be successful in this career field. Remember that without you, airplanes just don’t fly.

  • One Simple Trick For Quicker, Cheaper, Less Stressful Air Travel

    Before I started traveling a lot, I used to pack everything but the kitchen sink when I took a vacation for a week or two. I filled both a carry-on bag and a checked bag with too many shoes, a library worth of books, and outfits that would never see the light of day—all because I was afraid of not having something I might need.

    But the more I traveled, the more I realized that not only was I doing my back an injustice lugging all of that extra weight to and from the airport, I was spending money I could have better used to enjoy my vacation.

    That’s why these days, I choose to bring just a carry-on bag with me, with an empty beach bag packed inside, and then only pay for a checked bag on my return flight.

    This trick has a number of benefits.

    Firstly, it allows me to check in online before I arrive at the airport and to get through the airport quickly on the flight out. No more waiting in lines and stressing out before my vacation has even begun.

    Secondly, it helps me to keep my costs low. All across Europe, when you book an airline seat on a flight traveling within Europe, you only get the cost of a carry-on bag and one additional bag (say a purse or laptop bag) included in the cost of your seat. For any other luggage, you pay extra—and on the budget airlines, checking a bag each way on a round-trip can eat into any savings you’ve made by going for a low-cost carrier.

    So, these days I’ve learned to get everything I’ll need for my vacation into one carry-on bag. It means that when I get to my destination, I can move easily and quickly around while everyone around me is struggling to drag hulking big suitcases behind them.

    Then, while I’m on vacation, I can shop to my heart’s delight, picking up souvenirs and mementoes of my travels at a fraction of what they would cost back home. On my most recent trip, that included a couple of bottles of local wine, some handcrafts, new clothes from boutique stores, and artwork.

    Once I’m done shopping on my trip, I transfer my purchases into the beach bag I packed in my carry-on.

    This trick has worked well for me most recently on trips to Portugal’s Algarve and the Spanish island of Lanzarote, off the coast of Morocco. I’ve brought home some spectacular gifts and pieces for my house that I would never have managed to fit into my luggage when I was traveling with a full checked suitcase each way.

    But I’ve decided to hone this trick further to save even more money.

    When I traveled back from Lanzarote, it looked like disaster had struck: I had underestimated just how much of a weight allowance I would need for my checked bag. I had paid for 15 kilograms in advance but when I arrived to check in my bag, I discovered it weighed closer to 25 kilograms.

    The check-in attendant said I would have to pay €80 at the desk to account for the increased weight. Instead, I stepped out of line, pulled up the airline’s app on my phone and paid for a 25-kilogram bag. It cost me €40 to add that bag—half of what the airline would have charged me at the desk.

    Next time I do this, I won’t add a checked bag until I get to the airport for my homebound flight. With most airlines, you can add a bag using their app one to two hours before boarding (you should check your airline’s rules before you do this). That way, I’ll be able to weigh my bag when I get to the airport and choose the right baggage allowance I need and not waste money on a weight allowance that’s too high or too low.

    And, I’ll continue filling my bag with special souvenirs and one-off mementos I previously would have had to leave behind.

  • Lion – King of Beasts?

    Mention a safari to Africa, and one animal springs immediately to mind – lion! This fascination is no doubt due to the size and awesome power of this large cat, and its hunting prowess. But it may also have something to do with the human psyche, for our hominid ancestors on the African plains had to contend with lions as competitors and enemies on a daily basis. Perhaps they still dwell deep in our subconscious mind!…

    Family Life
    The lion is the only truly social member of the cat family, with prides typically consisting of related females (normally sisters and aunts) and their offspring. Male cubs are ejected from the pride when they approach maturity, whereas female cubs stay on as a second or third generation. Mothers help to raise one another’s offspring, with litters often being synchronized and lactating females suckling other cubs. These prides are usually lorded over by adult males (normally two or more) which may also be related as brothers. The males defend a territory larger in size than the home range of the lionesses and very often rule over two or more prides.

    This typical arrangement is, however, subject to much variability, and the more that is learned about lion ecology the more permutations come to light. It seems also to be true, that population dynamics – along with other behaviors – differ among lions from one region to another. In areas where lion populations are hemmed-in by fences, human settlements or agriculture (sadly, this is now the case over much of Africa) pride dynamics may be altered radically, as dominant males are either in control for abnormally-long periods, or are killed (shot by farmers) on a regular basis. The implications either way are serious, as males with too long a tenure may eventually mate with their own daughters, while repeated changes of pride dominance caused by regular mortalities, results in a high rate of infanticide (male lions will invariably kill cubs which they have not sired).

    On the Hunt
    Lions are the super-predators of Africa, able to capture prey from tiny elephant-shrews to immature elephants. By and large, zebra, wildebeest and buffalo are the favored prey, but this depends upon the size of the pride, the terrain and the availability of particular prey. Only large prides will tackle buffalo, and – even then – males are often called upon (literally) to deliver the killing bite. A buffalo bull is a huge and powerful animal averaging 800kg, but once it is down, it can provide food for a week or more. Prides seem to specialize in certain prey and develop strategies accordingly. This can mean, for example, that a pride will walk past a group of feeding zebras and target a lone giraffe. Prey is also seasonal in many places, such that the lions of Kenya’s Masai Mara have a glut of migratory wildebeest between July and November (some prides may kill three per night!) but then have to survive of wily warthogs and agile gazelles for the rest of the year.

    Not above scavenging
    One reason for being in a pride is not only to be tackling large prey but also to defend it. The Spotted Hyena is the arch enemy of the lion, and large clans of these tenacious carnivores are sometimes able to dispossess the big cats of their prey. In contrast to the Hollywood image of hyenas being cowardly, these adaptable animals are highly organized team-workers in their own right. Since any predator has to avoid injury if it is to survive, lions will usually take to easiest available prey, preferring a limping zebra foal to a vigorous stallion. It is perhaps not commonly known that lions derive a large part of their diet from scavenging or pirating a meal from a smaller or solitary carnivore (cheetah are the most victimized, and this is why leopards take their prey up into trees).

    Conservation
    Because lions come into conflict with mankind, in particular his livestock, they have been systematically eliminated over most of the continent and their known range has shrunk by about two thirds. The areas previously infested with tsetse fly (carrier of dreaded livestock disease) have until recently been a refuge for lion (most large national parks were created in tsetse areas) but recent prophylactics and fly eradication programs (with other environmental impacts) now permit growing numbers of cattle to enter these previously hostile environments.

    There are only three parts of Africa which contain populations of 2000 lions or more. The Serengeti-Mara, the Okavango-Chobe-Hwange complex, and the Kruger National Park and its neighbors. Elsewhere, populations are fragmented and therefore vulnerable. The long term future of the lion cannot be considered secure in these areas, without human intervention to monitor and regulate population genetics.

  • Turkish Airlines Launches Direct Flights to Pointe Noire

    The flights are seen by both Turkey and Congo as a move to boost tourism especially in the oil-dependent Central African nation. Pointe Noire becomes the 58th Turkish Airlines destination in Africa after Port Harcourt in Nigeria and the 313th worldwide.

    “Our conviction is that in the medium and long term, Africa will continue to increase its importance in terms of tourism and trade, and we will continue to invest in the potential of this beautiful continent, Kerem Sarp, Senior Vice President, Sales, Turkish Airlines said at the launch held at A.A. Neto Airport in Pointe Noire. Congo seeks to cut its dependency on oil and has underscored developing the tourism sector as part of its National Development Plan to achieve economic diversification.

    For Congo’s transport minister, Fidele Dimou, the flights will enable his country’s businessmen “to explore the Turkish market and vise versa.”

    With Congo still reeling from the effects of the 2014/15 oil price crisis, evidenced by an IMF intervention earlier this month, the launch is a step of faith by Turkey.

    The airline which has launched three flights per week will have to compete with market leaders like Ethiopian Airlines and Air France.

  • Open skies for Africa: Wake shares his thoughts

    Ahead of AviaDev, we asked Ato Girma to share his thoughts on the chance of open skies for africa succeeding.

    In January 2018, we witnessed the signing of the SAATM (Single African Air Transport Market) at the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa. Wake has been a hugely influential figure in African aviation for over 50 years, including a historically successful period as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines…

    Intra-African connectivity as a % of total regional capacity has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years at just 43% (it was 46.6% in 2007).This compares to Europe at 67%, ASEAN at 79% and North America at 78% where the airspace is liberalised. Can you see this picture changing?
    It will change as more African countries realize the true value of connectivity and liberalize their airspace and start trading with their neighbours. Abolition of visa requirements or at least making it available on arrival for Africans and if possible for other travellers in Africa will help to grow the traffic between African countries.The Aviation sector needs to do more work with African governments to recognize Aviation”s strategic importance and support for the economic and social development objectives across the continent.

    Do you think open skies for Africa is a positive move?
    Countries and continents that adopted open sky policies before Africa have benefited from it. We are not experimenting with something that has not been tried before. It has been proved useful again and again in North America, Europe and in ASEAN countries. We have even seen it in Africa where countries through bilateral agreements have opened their skies to one another. Traffic growth has been very good. We should,therefore,have no doubt that SAATM will have a positive.impact on the progress of the continent.

    SAATM has only been signed by just under half of all African countries. What do you think is holding back those that have not signed?
    It is partly due to lack of awareness of the economic and social benefits of Aviation to Africa in general and to each country and region in particular. Old protectionist habits take time to die but it will gradually die for sure. The attitude of some African airlines and the lack of cooperation and trust between them has also been the cause for slow reaction to SAATM .We leave that to AFRAA to work on their members .In general, I expect more African countries to join SAATM in 2018.

    How would you structure this to ensure the best chance of success?
    AFCAC (the executive Agency of AU on YD) has to be strengthened- they need qualified and committed staff in the right numbers (adequate coverage of the job). More importantly the position of The Secretary General which is vacant, should be filled urgently. You can not fly a civilian airline without a pilot. this is an important AU project and should not be left in the hands of an interim leader .

    In African Union Commission (AUC) there must be a dedicated person to coordinate between various bodies such as AFCAC, The RECs, AFRAA and within the AU itself and the ministerial council.We all know the Commissioners office handles a lot of infrastructure projects for the continent and if it does not dedicate at least a desk officer to coordinate and follow up SAATM implementation we will again face delays as in the past.I hope this has already been solved but I raise it just in case it is overlooked.

    A clear decision should also be made on the arbitration mechanism. RECs should be properly briefed of their supporting role to AFCAC Civil aviation departments of each SAATM member country should adopt SAATM policies and procedures in their respective manuals and guidelines for granting of traffic rights to airlines of member countries.

    How do you think the African aviation market will look 10 years from now?
    If YD is implemented successfully and visa rules are relaxed to support unhindered flow of traffic, we should see a very healthy economic development in Africa. This in turn will create more viable airlines that can better serve the continent and its people. In 10 years we are likely to see a strong profitable air transport system in Africa-God Willing.

  • AviaDev 2019: Chris Zweigenthal to Receive Girma Wake Lifetime Achievement Award

    The Ato Girma Wake Lifetime Achievement Award for an outstanding contribution to route development in Africa is a coveted award named in honour of the Godfather of African aviation, Ato Girma Wake.

    Few people have done more to advance the connectivity of African aviation than the former Ethiopian Airlines CEO, who laid the foundations of the success we see today. It is with great pleasure that we announce that the recipient of the 2019 award will be Chris Zweigenthal, CEO of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa.

    The climax to the AviaDev 2019 conference will be a one on one interview between Ato Girma and Chris, which will explore the origins of Chris’ passion, his journey and will allow him to share his learnings with the community.

    Last year’s worthy recipient was Raphael Kuuchi, Special Envoy on Aero-political Affairs, IATA and you can watch the full interview or listen via the AviaDev Insight Africa podcast

    Join us in Cape Town this April and help us to Advance Africa’s Connectivity as “Together we soar”

    You can register online now at www.aviationdevelop.com

  • British Airways Launches January sale

    British Airways is set to launch its most anticipated offers of the year as the January Sale begins with over 100 destinations on offer.

    The sale, which ends at 11.59pm on January 31 2019, includes new routes to Charleston, Pittsburgh, Durban and Osaka as well as popular destinations including Las Vegas and Cancun.

    With two-night city breaks starting from just £99, European beach holidays starting from £179 per person and Caribbean holidays from £499, the world is on sale with a selection of flights, holidays and fly drive packages.

    New York, the most searched destination on ba.com in 2018, is on sale for £379 with three nights’ accommodation and World Traveller return flights included in the package. As part of British Airway’s partnership with American Airlines, great fares are available on many US routes. Together, American Airlines and British Airways offer up to 70 flights a day from London to the U.S.

    The airline’s website, ba.com, expects to see searches for holiday destinations pick up on boxing day and a significant increase in searches from January 2 as sun-seekers look to plan for some rest and relaxation after the Christmas festivities.

    Andrew Brem, British Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said “This is our most exciting sale of the year and we’re kicking off on December 20 to give customers plenty of time to plan their holidays or even buy a last-minute gift. We’ve got fantastic offers to suit all budgets and types of break from city, to fly-drive to fly-and-flop.”

    For those looking for a package deal, the best British Airways Holidays include:

    New York – British Airways Holidays offers three nights at the 2.5* Marrakech Hotel, from £379 per person, travelling January 8 to February 28. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/newyork or call 0344 493 0122.

    New Orleans – British Airways Holidays offers five nights at the 4* International House, from £599 per person, travelling November 1 to November 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/new-orleans or call 0344 493 0122.

    Abu Dhabi – British Airways Holidays offers three nights at the 4* Le Meridien Abu Dhabi, from £399 per person, travelling June 1 – June 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/abudhabi or call 0344 493 0123.

    Seychelles – British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the 3.5* Coral Strand Hotel, from £899 per person, travelling June 3 to July 7. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation with breakfast. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/seychelles or call 0844 493 0787.

    Prague – British Airways Holidays offers two nights at the 4* Duo, from £119 per person, travelling March 9 to March 13. Includes Euro Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation with breakfast. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/prague  or call 0344 493 0125.

    Las Vegas – British Airways Holidays offers five nights at the 3* The D Las Vegas, from £399 per person, travelling November 10 to November 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and accommodation. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/las-vegas or call 0344 493 0122.

    Mauritius – British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the 3* Tropical Attitude, from £799 per person, travelling June 1 to June 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and accommodation with breakfast. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/mauritius or call 0344 493 0778.

    Caribbean – Tobago British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the 3* Grafton Beach Resort, from £499 per person, travelling June 1 to June 30. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and accommodation with breakfast. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/tobago or call 0344 493 0120.

    Tenerife – British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the 3* Sol Puerto de la Cruz Tenerife, from £239 per person, travelling May 6 to May 15. Includes Euro Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and accommodation with breakfast. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/tenerife or call 0344 493 0125.

    Rome – British Airways Holidays offers two nights at the 3* Cilicia, from £99 per person, travelling February 3 – February 5. Includes Euro Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and accommodation with breakfast. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/rome or call 0344 493 0125.

    Barcelona – British Airways Holidays offers two nights at the 2* Lami, from £99 per person, travelling February 4 – February 7. Includes Euro Traveller return flights from London Gatwick and accommodation. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/barcelona or call 0344 493 0125.

    For those who already have their accommodation arranged, return flight only offers start from:

    Austin from £364 return

    Florida from £299 return

    Muscat from £335 return

    Chicago from £295 return

    Sydney from £609 return

    Bangkok from £439 return

    Osaka from £649

    Nashville from £375 return

    Pittsburgh from £419 return

    Johannesburg from £415 return

    Shanghai from £410 return

    Singapore from £419 return

    Selected routes in Club Europe, Club World and First:

    Nashville Club World return from £1393

    New York Club World return from £1640

    Flight and car

    Los Angeles – British Airways offers seven days, from £379 per person, travelling January 8 to March 31. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and an Economy car. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/car.

    Durban – British Airways offers seven days, from £449 per person, travelling May 1 to May 31. Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and a car. Book by January 31. For reservations visit ba.com/car.

  • Fly Dubai Announces New Fare Structure

    Dubai -based flydubai has launched new fare types offering passengers more choice when travelling in Economy. The new fare types are applicable for all bookings made from 02 December onwards and allows passengers to choose between Lite, Value and Flex bundles designed to cater to their different travel needs and budget.

    Passengers travelling in Business continue to benefit from great value for money with the existing business class fares that include a generous checked-in baggage allowance, meal options from an internationally inspired menu, complimentary inflight entertainment and many other add-ons.Commenting on the launch of the new fare structure, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai said: “As we enter a new chapter of the airline’s maturity we remain committed to innovation and meeting the changing demands of our customers. The new fare restructure is the latest in a series of product innovation by flydubai which has seen the introduction of an award winning new cabin interior on the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, a brand-new uniform, the launch of Holidays division and Emirates Skywards become our new rewards programme.”“We recognise the challenges and the opportunities that come from operating in such a diverse network. Passengers travelling on flydubai to Muscat, Moscow or Helsinki have different travel needs and preferences and the new fare types will help enhance their flydubai experience by simplifying the booking journey and offering the option to choose between unbundled or bundled packages,” commented Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations and E-commerce for flydubai.

    flydubai carried more than 10.4 million passengers in 2017 and since its inception in 2009 has built a network of 90 destinations in 46 countries spanning from Bangladesh in the east, Finland in the west, Russia in the north and Zanzibar in the south.

    The new fare structure is complemented with a revised meal offering for passengers travelling in Economy. All new bookings from December onward will be required to choose a fare type and the meal product available for the Value and Flex fare types respectively. The meal options will vary depending on the route, duration of the flight and time of day and includes sandwiches, hot wraps, hot meals and bento boxes.

    Passengers who opted for the Lite fare type can chose to buy from the onboard catering cart which includes a selection of snacks and beverages.

  • The War Against Poaching Heats Up

    Viewing wildlife and buying wildlife souvenirs are particularly popular amongst tourists coming to Africa. It is very important to know whether or not that trinket you bought will be acceptable to your airline. Many of them now subscribe to United for Wildlife in an effort to combat the illegal wildlife trade. Transport Taskforce member organizations of United for Wildlife a declaration at Buckingham Palace on the 15th of March. It declares a strong committing to actively reducing the illegal wildlife trafficking. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is one of the signatories.

    Many species have been poached to near extinction. Illegal wildlife trade, not only restricted to endangered species, is currently the valued at between $5-20 billion per year, making it the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans and arms.
    The highly linked global transport and logistics system has made illegal trade in wildlife a great deal easier. Poaching is not just a crime against wildlife. More than 1,000 rangers have been killed in the last ten years, which is two per week, every week.

    One of the spinoffs of this situation is that many airlines are refusing to transport many wildlife products. The initial focus is on the trafficking of high-risk protected animals. certain big cats, pangolins, and ivory products, on high-risk routes. East Africa is a very hot area because many products originate from- or transit through Kenya, Tanzania and neighbors.

  • Aviation Drives Economic Prosperity for Mauritius

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on the government of Mauritius to continue to focus on aviation as a strategic enabler of the country’s economic and social development.

    “The leaders of Mauritius have always understood that air connectivity is vital. As we celebrate the first half-century of the country’s success, let’s keep in mind the critical role that aviation plays as a pillar of the economy.

    “And let’s look to the next fifty years with a comprehensive strategic focus on maximizing the benefits of aviation for this island nation,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO in a keynote address to Aviation Day Mauritius which is marking the 50th year of Mauritian independence.

    “The key elements of any aviation strategy are safety, global standards, competitiveness and cooperation. But Mauritius and other small island states have a critical competitive advantage in implementing an aviation strategy—and that is size. The country is small enough to rally the aviation universe—the airlines, the airport, the tourism infrastructure—to agree a strategy and to get it implemented quickly and nimbly,” said de Juniac.

    “The goal of a comprehensive aviation strategy is to enable aviation to drive economic and social development. That will mean a successful future for Air Mauritius—the home-town carrier that serves the market as a lifeline. And it will create opportunities for other carriers to augment the prosperity that aviation brings with robust competition,” said de Juniac.

    Key elements of a comprehensive aviation strategy would include:

    Safety : IATA encouraged Mauritius to take a leadership role in fulfilling its Abuja Declaration commitment to recognize the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) in its safety oversight regulatory framework. IOSA is mandatory for all IATA member airlines and the 34 African carriers on the IOSA registry are delivering world-class safety levels—three times better than African carriers not on the IOSA registry. “We are already working with Zimbabwe and Rwanda on IOSA recognition. I encourage Mauritius to join them in taking a leadership role,” said de Juniac.

    Alignment with global standards : Global standards are the foundation of international civil aviation. This includes the industry’s responsible approach to managing its climate change impact. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will stabilize emissions from 2020. “As an island nation, the potential consequences of climate change—including rising sea levels and severe weather—are very real. So I encourage Mauritius to show solidarity and join the 70-plus states participating in CORSIA from the voluntary period,” said de Juniac.

    Focus on competitiveness : Mauritius ranks high in many categories of the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. This includes a fourth-place ranking (behind Malta, Singapore , and Iceland) for prioritization of travel and tourism in government policy. But it ranks 116th on price competitiveness largely driven by ticket taxes, airport charges and fuel costs. “These are big pain points for airlines. Policies to improve competitiveness in these areas would boost aviation’s ability to deliver its economic benefits,” said de Juniac.

    IATA urged dialogue with the airlines as Mauritius embarks on a project to more than double the capacity of Sir Seewoosugur Ramgoolam Airport to 9 million passengers annually. “The airport is probably the most valuable few kilometres of concrete ever poured on this island. The return on the investment for the economy is immense.

    There must be an open dialogue with the airlines to ensure that development provides sufficient capacity, technical excellence aligned to airline needs and affordable costs,” said de Juniac. IATA urged the establishment of an independent regulator to ensure that infrastructure costs are kept competitive.

    Cooperation : “Mauritius has impressive connectivity. But there are many markets that have still to discover Mauritian hospitality. And no single airline can provide the connectivity that is needed. Partnerships with other airlines are enhancing the nation’s connectivity,” said de Juniac.

    De Juniac also noted the strategic location of Mauritius between Asia and Southern Africa.
    “Mauritius is well-placed to grow its footprint in Africa. It is accessible—only requiring visas from six African countries. Cooperation with South African Airways and Kenya Airways opened two gateways into the African continent. And the Single Africa Air Transport Market creates the potential for even broader connectivity. For sure Africa’s development will demand increased air connectivity with Asia’s important markets. Could Mauritius evolve as a one-stop hub, efficiently connecting Southern African markets to points in Asia-Pacific?” said de Juniac.

    Business of Freedom

    “We know that aviation brings in the tourists, that it connects us to family and friends, and that it is a catalyst for economic, social and educational ties. The post-independence success story that is Mauritius today would be very different without connectivity that can only be facilitated by air. Aviation is the business of freedom—and that includes the freedom to develop,” said de Juniac.