AFRAA
 

AFRAA at various sessions at the UN Tourism – ICAO Ministerial Conference on Tourism and Air Transport in Africa Luanda, Republic of Angola 22-24 July 2025

Posted on by African Airlines Association
 

AFRAA at various sessions at the UN Tourism – ICAO Ministerial Conference on Tourism and Air Transport in Africa Luanda, Republic of Angola 22-24 July 2025

Session 1: Leveraging Technology and Innovation to Shape the Future of Tourism and Air Transport

Focus areas:

  1. Emerging digital technologies and smart mobility solutions that have proven most effective in enhancing Africa’s air transport and tourism sectors.
  2. Public-private partnerships and aligned policies to accelerate the adoption of the technologies across diverse African markets.
  3. The main challenges of integrating new technologies with existing infrastructure, and how they can be overcome sustainably.

 Panellists:

  • Ms. Nompumelelo (Mpumi) Z. Mpofu, CEO, Airports Company South Africa
  • Ms. Maureen Kahonge, Senior Manager, Business Development and Communications, African Airlines Association (AFRAA)
  • Mr. Tom Marten, Managing Director – Emerging Markets, Travizory
  • Mr. Dalmas Okendo, Head of Government and Industry Affairs, Kenya Airways

Moderator: Mr. Antonio López de Ávila, Director, Innovation, Education and Investments, UN Tourism

Session 3: Building the Case for Investment in Tourism and Air Transport Infrastructure

Focus areas:

  1. The most urgent investment priorities to unlock growth in air transport and tourism infrastructure in Africa.
  2. How financing models, including public-private partnerships, can be designed to attract significant funding.
  3. The role of regional development banks and international partners in supporting infrastructure and digital innovation projects.

Panellists:

  • E. Mr. Jean-Marie Somet, Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire in Angola
  • Antonio López de Ávila, Director, Innovation, Education and Investments, UN Tourism
  • Albert Halwampa, Director General, Zambia Development Agency
  • Romain Ekoto, Regional Director, Western and Central Africa Office, ICAO

 

Moderator: Mr. Abderhamane Berthé, Secretary General, African Airlines Association (AFRAA)

High-level Panel- Advancing Mobility and Accessibility in Tourism and Air Transport

Focus areas:

  1. What governments can do to make airports and air travel more accessible for everyone, including people with limited mobility.
  2. The main infrastructure challenges limiting affordable and inclusive access to tourism in Africa, especially in remote areas—and how can transport and tourism policies can work together to address them?
  3. How governments can support local and regional airlines to expand routes to less-served areas, and what policies are needed to ensure this supports tourism and local development.
  • Stephen Wilfred Arthur, Director General, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority
  • E. Ms. Teresia Mbaika Malokwe, CBS, Principal Secretary, State Department Aviation and Aerospace Development, Republic of Kenya
  • Abderhamane Berthé, Secretary General, African Airlines Association (AFRAA)
  • Esayas Woldemariam Hailu, CEO, ASKY Airlines
  • E. Mr. Rui Carreira, Secretary of State for Civil Aviation, Maritime and Port Sectors Republic of Angola

 Moderator: Mr. Nicolas Gurwicz, Founder, Altura Aviation Consulting