ICAO AFI Aviation Week strengthens the development of African air transport 

A renewed commitment to advancing aviation safety, security, facilitation, sustainability and connectivity across the African and Indian Ocean (AFI) region has resulted from the 10th ICAO AFI Aviation Week.

Held from 26 to 30 May 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the event brought together high-level dignitaries, including the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Honourable Cde Kembo Dugish Campbell Muleya Mohadi Mohadi; the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development of Zimbabwe, Felix Tapiwa Mhona (MP); the President of the ICAO Council, Salvatore Sciacchitano, and the ICAO Secretary General, Juan Carlos Salazar; along with Ministers and other Senior Representatives of African States.

The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) President, Florent Serge Dzota, and the AFCAC Secretary General, Adefunke Adeyemi were also present, as were representatives of other regional organizations and global aviation stakeholders.

Vice President Mohadi reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to ICAO’s strategic objectives and regional aviation development in his opening remarks, and encouraged the attending governments to prioritize alignment on air transport facilitation as a means to enhance efficiency and development.

In his keynote address, Council President Sciacchitano emphasized the strategic importance of the AFI Aviation Week as the largest aviation gathering on the African continent. He congratulated and thanked Zimbabwe for its leadership and hospitality in hosting the event, and reaffirmed ICAO’s commitment to supporting Africa through a partnership approach that ensures that No Country is Left Behind.

Secretary General Salazar emphasized the importance of the event as a platform to shape Africa’s aviation future in alignment with ICAO’s new Strategic Plan (2026–2050) and Business Plan (2026–2028), and joined Mr. Sciacchitano in expressing his appreciation to Zimbabwe for hosting the event.

Noting that most future air traffic growth will occur in emerging markets like Africa, Mr. Salazar highlighted the opportunities and imperative of ensuring inclusive and sustainable aviation growth. In this regard, Mr. Salazar reaffirmed ICAO’s commitment to supporting African States through initiatives such as the AFI safety and AFI security and facilitation plans (AFI and AFI-SECFAL Plans), the AFI cooperative inspector and security and facilitation schemes, and the Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA) public health programme.

The Secretary General urged delegates to continue developing African-led strategies and to build a resilient, future-ready aviation sector in alignment with ICAO goals, and praised donor States and organizations for their essential contributions.

Bilateral meetings

In support of the objectives of AFI Week, Council President Sciacchitano held bilateral engagements with Vice President Mohadi, Minister Tapiwa Mhona; the Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Jana Santhiran Muniayan; and the Director General of Civil Aviation of South Africa, Poppy Khoza. Secretary General Salazar undertook bilateral discussions with the Zambian Minister of Transport and Logistics, the Honourable Eng. Frank Museba Tayali (MP) and the Zimbabwean Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Honourable Joshua. K. Sacco (MP).

The Secretary General also engaged in several bilateral meetings with the Directors General and Heads of Delegations from Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Malaysia, and with representatives of regional organizations: AFCAC, the African Union Commission (AUC) and several Regional Safety Oversight Organizations.

Major Outcomes and Agreements

A comprehensive set of outcomes aimed at strengthening Africa’s aviation sector emerged from the discussions. Key themes included:

• enhancing aviation safety through improved oversight and risk-based surveillance
• developing interoperable air navigation infrastructure with regional coordination
• addressing security threats by implementing Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) systems and risk-based strategies
• optimizing air transport connectivity by accelerating Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) implementation, reducing taxes, harmonizing cross-border policies, and implementing facilitation programmes

As part of AFI Week, the AFI Aviation Symposium promoted Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) through the ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme and the Finvest Hub; advancing gender equality through policy, mentorship, and education; and empowering youth through aviation career exposure, updated training, and internships.

Across all areas, the emphasis was on collaboration among States, ICAO, AFCAC and industry to align with global frameworks and ensure sustainable, inclusive growth in African aviation.

A landmark outcome of AFI Week was the convening of the first meeting of the unified steering committee for the AFI Plan, AFI SECFAL Plan, and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF). This consolidated mechanism will enhance oversight, coordination and resource mobilization.

The meeting emphasized the need for a resource mobilization strategy to ensure sustainable funding. African States were also urged to implement the revised Abuja Safety Targets and integrate them into national safety plans.

Acknowledging progress made thus far in addressing Significant Safety and Security Concerns resulting from ICAO auditing, the committee also called for increased voluntary participation.

Looking Ahead

The Council President and the Secretary General were accompanied during their activities in Zimbabwe by ICAO’s ESAF Regional Director, Ms. Lucy Mbugua; WACAF Regional Director, Mr. Romain Ekoto; and the Director for Capacity Development and Implementation, Mr. Jorge Vargas.

In closing AFI Week, ICAO Secretary General Mr. Salazar called on stakeholders “to translate the energy and consensus built here into effective policies and initiatives,” noting that “ICAO will remain fully committed to supporting civil aviation in Africa.” 

The strategic foundation established in Victoria Falls positions the region to make meaningful contributions to these upcoming forums while advancing Africa’s aviation development agenda on the world stage.

The ICAO-UN Tourism Ministerial Conference in Luanda, Angola on 22 July 2025 will present an important platform to leverage the aviation connectivity commitments established during AFI Week.

This will be followed by the Third ICAO NGAP Global Summit in Durban, South Africa from 12-14 August 2025, where the gender equality and youth empowerment initiatives discussed at AFI Week can be further advanced on a global scale.

Finally, the 42nd ICAO Assembly and ICAO Innovation Fair in Montréal, Canada in September 2025 will serve as the global stage where African States can present a unified approach based on consensus, ensuring that the continent’s aviation priorities are effectively represented in international policy discussions.