Cape Town is preparing to host the AviaDev Africa conference, which will hone in on air connectivity on the African continent when it takes off in the city from June 29-July 1.
Hosted by Wesgro Cape Town Air Access, the conference was originally intended to have taken place in Madagascar. However, AviaDev CEO and founder, Jon Howell, said the company would not be able to deliver an event in Madagascar that would meet the high standards expected due to the continued uncertainty about the complete reopening of the Malagasy borders and the restrictions on flight frequencies, alongside the country’s heavy health protocols.
AviaDev Africa is an aviation conference dedicated to the African continent and considered the premier platform dedicated to growing connectivity to, from, and within the African continent. It aims to bring together airports, airlines, tourism authorities, governments, and industry suppliers.
The aeronautical event offers delegates the opportunity to prearrange meetings, learn from industry peers, and make important connections. It also allows participants to create new air routes from or to a country and to develop new collaborations with other airports or to attract new airlines.
“AviaDev Africa was held in Cape Town in 2018 and 2019 and was a resounding success. The Cape Town Air Access model is a blueprint for how route development should be done and we are delighted to be able to bring the event back to the Mother City,” Howell said.
“The AviaDev community has shared their desire to meet in person, and with Cape Town’s domestic, regional and international connectivity, we can be back together once again to connect, collaborate and change the African aviation landscape,” Howell added.
Some topics to be presented at the conference include:
*Air Cargo’s role in African route development
* Opportunities for OEMs in Africa
* Opportunities and challenges in post-pandemic Africa
Wesgro CEO and Cape Town Air Access spokesperson Wrenelle Stander said air access was at the heart of the Western Cape’s wider ambitions for prosperity and economic competitiveness.
“Since the closure of international travel in 2020, the air access team has worked to recover 21 destinations, of which 10 are in Africa. We are now in a position to strengthen our regional and international connectivity and we feel AviaDev Africa is the perfect partner to support us in this effort. A warm welcome awaits all AviaDev delegates in the Mother City this June,” Stander said.
