The sustainability of air transport in Africa is in the spotlight, with development in key areas requiring attention, according to Airports Company South Africa (Acsa).

Acsa CEO Bongani Maseko briefed delegates at aviation industry exhibition Aviation Festival Africa, which was held at the Sandton Convention Centre, on June 28 and 29.

He says it is predicted that passengers using air transport in Africa will increase by 4.7% to 294-million by 2034. This figure mirrors the global average percentage increase, with similar growth expected in other regions during the same timeframe.

The number of passengers using air transport is predicted to grow 3.3% in North America, while European growth is in the region of 2.7%, both equalling 1.4-billion passengers by 2034. Asia and the Pacific region,as well as the Middle East, are also both expected to grow by 4.9%, while South America is expected to grow by 4.6%.

In general, the air transport industry is facing a myriad of challenges, including economics and financing, environmental issues, skills development, infrastructure and regulatory and policy obstacles.

In terms of economic and financing challenges, Maseko suggests the air transport industry needs to capitalise on opportunities to attract public and private capital, liberalise the sector and enhance public source financing. The industry also needs to mobilise external resources and other innovative funding mechanisms to remain sustainable.

To complement public funding initiatives, the air transport industry also needs to encourage public–private partnerships and reduce the rehabilitation and replacement funding requirements, highlights Maseko.

Meanwhile, in the regulatory environment, the industry is being challenged by the liberalisation of domestic and international regulatory regimes. However, he points out that there is an opportunity to propel the local sector by fully implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision of 1999, which advocates the liberalisation of African air services and for “open skies” in Africa. This would translate into more competition and more African players in the marketplace, greater options for travellers and lower fares.

He adds that air transport bodies can also gain from opportunities by improving coordination in the development and implementation of regional and sub-regional agreements.

To enhance air transport infrastructure, Maseko says, the industry should prioritise investment into existing airport infrastructure, adding that the industry needs to support the Africa Strategic Improvement Action Plan, which was developed by the African Union. This could be boosted by the pooling of safety oversight resources and sharing them regionally.

In terms of skills, he says implementing appropriate institutional frameworks, providing a separate focus on regulatory and operational functions and strengthening existing entities, as well as establishing new ones, will offer key oppurtunities.

The development and implementation of capacity building initiatives are also key areas for skills development.

The increasing growth in air traffic is impacting on the environment, notes Maseko.

When dealing with environmental concerns and issues, he said, the industry should introduce the preapproval of environmental-impact assessments.

Other opportunities that should be capitalised on to increase environmental sustainability include the establishment of appropriate incentives that promote low-energy systems, the developing and upgrading of infrastructure to acceptable standards and improving traffic management systems.

According to Maseko, other measures to boost environmental sustainability include integrating transport infrastructure planning into land use planning, reducing waste and adopting international standards.