The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that the 2026 edition of its ‘Focus Africa Conference’ will centre on improving aviation safety, connectivity and operational efficiency across the continent.
The conference, themed “Elevating Aviation Safety, Connectivity, and Operational Efficiency in Africa”, is scheduled to hold in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from April 29 to 30, 2026, and will be hosted by Ethiopian Airlines.
According to IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi, aviation remains a critical driver of Africa’s economic and social development, but the sector must address key operational challenges to fully unlock its potential.
He noted that strengthening safety oversight, harmonising regulatory frameworks, reducing operational costs and improving efficiency will be key priorities at the conference, especially as Africa’s aviation market is projected to grow by about 3 to 4 per cent annually.
The inaugural ‘Focus Africa Conference’ was also hosted by Ethiopian Airlines in 2023. Since then, the Focus Africa initiative has delivered several milestones aimed at improving the continent’s aviation ecosystem.
Among the notable achievements are support for the rollout of Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API-PNR) programmes in 12 African countries, expanded safety initiatives across the region, and the establishment of new settlement operations through the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) in Sierra Leone and South Sudan, as well as the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems (CASS) in Ghana and Ivory Coast.
IATA has also introduced the Easy Pay payment solution in countries including Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Congo, Mauritius and Sierra Leone to address payment limitations for travel agents and improve cash flow for airlines.
The 2026 conference will review progress made under the Focus Africa initiative while mapping out the next steps required to accelerate the development of Africa’s aviation sector.
The event will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and technical presentations involving leading aviation executives and policymakers.
Speakers expected at the conference include the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Dr. Alemu Sime Feyisa; , Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Tasew Mesfin; CEO of Airlink, de Villiers Engelbrecht; CEO of Kenya Airways, George Kamal; and the Secretary General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Adefunke Adeyemi.
Others include the Secretary General of the African Airlines Association, Abderahmane Berthe; CEO of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa, Aaron Munetsi; and the CEO of Saudi Ground Services, Mohammed Mazi.
Key discussions will focus on strengthening aviation safety standards, improving intra-African connectivity through regulatory harmonisation and the advancement of the Single African Air Transport Market initiative, as well as leveraging digital innovation to enhance operational efficiency across the aviation value chain.
The Focus Africa Conference is open to accredited members of the media.