The event will support and address the security challenges and the necessity for regional Air Forces to enhance air operations to counter asymmetrical threats across Africa.

The two-day forum will feature bespoke networking exercises and interactive platforms for the region’s Airforce leadership and global solution providers to enhance collaborative approaches to combat regional security challenges.

The Senegalese Air Force is currently enhancing their fleet capabilities and personal readiness to support counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations. This readiness is crucial in the context of the beginning of oil and gas exploitation in 2023, and the further need to provide air assets to safeguard offshore and onshore oil and gas assets.

Chief of Air Force Staff, Brigadier General Papa Souleymane SARR, said: “The forum will provide the ideal setting to converse about the evolving role air operations play in counterinsurgency efforts and highlight the importance of the regions forces to cooperatively address ways to enhance the security landscape. As the premier strategic gathering of Air Forces, and key solution providers in Africa, the forum will enhance the full value chain of Africa’s defence and security aviation sector.”

An international exhibition at the event will be showcasing the latest materials, equipment and most advanced systems and technologies in the domain of Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as Maintenance, repair, and overhaul. Training and retention of personnel will also be discussed.

The aim of the forum is to identify key requirements of Africa’s Air Forces and provide key solutions to transnational threats.

With over 300 regional and international attendees from Air Forces the African Airforce Forum is an ideal networking and knowledge sharing platform for the aerospace industry in the region.

The event will also feature more than 20 speakers, over 30 sponsors and exhibitors, over 20 Chiefs of Air Forces, over 30 Air Forces will also be represented as well as 22 media partners. The countries participating will span the African continent as well as partners from around the world.

“The fourth A330 is to reinforce London,” said Yvonne Manzi Makolo, CEO of the Rwandan flag carrier, speaking to African Aerospace on the sidelines of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) 13th Aviation Stakeholders Convention held in Kigali from 11-13 May.

“Given the slot rules in London it's very tricky with three aircraft when one goes down. Then we have challenges with our slots,” she explained.

The A330-200 is coming from an unnamed lessor and will arrive in Kigali in late June or early July, said Makolo. It will operate mainly on its popular daily London Heathrow service but will also bolster its Lagos route.

Today RwandAir operates a fleet of two A330-200s, one A330-300, six Boeing 737NGs, two Bombardier CRJ900s and two De Havilland Dash 8-400s.

The carrier is looking to increase frequencies on its European routes, which are London and its three times weekly Paris service which is tagged with Brussels. “We would like to go daily on Paris as well,” she noted.

“London is doing very well, both for passengers and cargo, so we are very happy about that. I don't know if we'll get additional slots in Heathrow, but Gatwick might be another option,” said Makolo.

On the narrowbody front, RwandAir is adding two more 737-800s, both leased, arriving in July and August to replace its two CRJs which will be phased out and sold. The carrier’s sole 737-700 is being returned to its lessor this summer. The 737s are the backbone of the carrier’s African network and serve Dubai and Doha.

The Dash 8-400s will remain in the fleet serving its domestic routes but the carrier is thinking about an eventual replacement. “They are excellent aircraft and good for the region, but it's a challenge when you have a technical [problem] getting parts,” she said.

RwandAir is now established enough to tap the leasing market to expand its fleet, which was not the case when it began operating in 2002. “In the past nobody would take the risk, so the government had to step in and purchase the aircraft. Now people know RwandAir, and we have a track record,” she added.

The carrier’s ambition is to double its fleet in the next five years, said Makolo.

“It is going to happen very soon,” Jules Ndenga, CEO of ATL told African Aerospace on the sidelines of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) 13th Aviation Stakeholders Convention held in Kigali from 11-13 May.

ATL was created in 2015 by the Rwandan Government as the holding company for the country’s air transport businesses and includes RwandAir, Rwanda Airports Company and private aviation operator Akagera Aviation.

The possibility of Qatar Airways taking a stake in RwandAir first emerged in February 2020, with Qatar attracted by the opportunity to help build a hub in the heart of Africa in a politically stable country with strong regional growth potential.

However, it has taken several years for the deal to reach this final stage. “We had some delays, mainly in the recent past, due to the shift from Qatar Airways to the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA),” explained Ndenga.

Initially, the Doha-based carrier was leading the investment into RwandAir, but it has been transferred to QIA, the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar. This meant a review of the investment agreement developed with Qatar Airways. “That exercise is complete,” said Ndenga, with the final legal, governmental and regulatory hurdles soon to be fully cleared.

The Qatari stake in RwandAir is seen as a key pillar in Kigali’s ambitions to develop its air transport eco-system to support the country’s economic and social development. The value of the investment has not been announced. QIA has also taken a 60% stake in development of the New Kigali International Airport creating a large regional hub scheduled to open in 2028.

With the benefits of the full investment agreement within sight, the two carriers have been working commercially since 2021 when they signed a codeshare spanning 65 routes across Africa and across the globe in addition to RwandAir beginning non-stop flights between Kigali and Doha.

“We are already working together, and we continue to grow our codeshare partnership which is at 80-plus destinations, and we co-operate on a few other areas,” said Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO.

With African airlines facing a high-cost environment they find “scaling up a big challenge,” she told delegates at the AFRAA event. “What is great about the ongoing partnership with Qatar is it allows us to reset and to get things right.

“We are going through a whole transformation exercise as well to streamline RwandAir,” she explained. “This is looking at our business, all of our departments, asking whether we are right sized, whether we have the right people in the right jobs, looking at our network and our fleet,” said Makolo.

Collaborating on this transformation with a more experienced airline is key in enabling RwandAir to achieve its growth ambitions, she explained.

At present, RwandAir operates a fleet of three Airbus A330 widebodies, six Boeing 737NGs, two Bombardier CRJ900s and two De Havilland Dash 8-400s.

The fleet plan is regularly reviewed, but “from an ambition perspective we definitely want to double our fleet in the next five years,” said Makolo. The tie-up with Qatar Airways will help in this regard. “It is about leveraging their muscle in terms of negotiating and sourcing suitable aircraft for us.”

The conclusion of Qatar’s equity stake in RwandAir will be Doha’s second investment in an African-based carrier. In August 2024, Qatar Airways announced it had acquired a 25% stake in South African carrier Airlink.

At the deal signing, Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’ future.”

Shri Vipin Kumar, the Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India and South Asia, have joined the line-up of executive speakers at the Summit.

“We are delighted to welcome two such important speakers to Aviation India 2025, which will bring stakeholders from across India and South Asia to Delhi for our second Summit,” said Mark Brown, managing director of Times Aerospace Events, the organiser of Aviation India.

Under the title Aviation India 2025: Shaping the pathway for Indian aviation, the summit will debate and examine how the industry is transforming at pace to unlock growth bringing together leaders from across India and South Asia.

AAI’s Kumar will address expanding and enhancing India’s ground and air infrastructure, capacity and capabilities - a key component of delivering the country’s ambitious air transport goals.

The AAI’s mission encompasses the delivery of an airport network to meet the Indian Government’s Vision 2047 roadmap. AAI is responsible for developing and managing the country’s airport system, as well as managing and operating more than 100 of them.

AAI recently celebrated its 30th anniversary on 2 April. “India’s civil aviation sector is experiencing rapid growth, becoming a significant engine for economic expansion, with increased passenger traffic, infrastructure development, establishing India as the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world and government initiatives driving this surge,” said Kumar in his message on AAI’s 30th Annual Day.

Boeing India’s Gupte will address how the US manufacturer is working at scale within India, across commercial and defence aerospace, MRO, training, manufacturing and IT, to further the country's desire for sustainable aviation growth.

Boeing has been a trusted partner of India’s aerospace sector for more than 80 years, both as the mainstay of India’s growing commercial aviation sector, and in the modernisation and mission readiness of the country’s defence forces.

Today, Boeing’s sourcing from India stands at $1.25 billion a year from a network of more than 300 suppliers. Boeing currently employs 7,000 people in India, and more than 13,000 people work with its supply chain partners.

The Aviation India 2025 event builds on the formula of the successful Times Aerospace Aviation Africa events, which began in 2015 and have been successfully hosted in UAE. Rwanda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa.

During a wide-ranging panel session at IATA’s Aviation Day Middle East North Africa in Jeddah on 7 May, the chief executives of carriers in the region laid bare the extent to which the supply chain challenges, which have plagued the industry since the pandemic, are impacting their day-to-day business.

“It is a real issue,” said Stephen Greenway, chief executive of Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flyadeal. “I am probably spending about 30-40% of my time just ensuring the fleet works and getting aircraft through the door and so forth. For a CEO, that is an inordinate amount of time.”

He notes that while the delays in aircraft deliveries are the most visible impact, the issues cascade well beyond that.

“I have two aircraft in Toulouse without engines and I don’t know when I’m going to get them; spare parts are hard to come by; even getting one of our aircraft certified for ETOPS by the end of the year, I can’t get the oxygen tanks for the aircraft, line-fit or retroft.”

He adds: “It's May and I don’t know what my fleet is going to be for the summer peak at this moment in time. We hope to work that out in the next couple of weeks. We were meant to be getting two aircraft prior to the summer that would complete a full aircraft fleet to go into the summer, that’s just not happening.”

Neither does Greenway hold out hopes for a quick resolution to supply chain issues.

“Anyone who says it will go away by the end of the year doesn’t know what they are talking about,” he says. “This is with us for the next three-to-five years, minimum.”

Chief executive of Omani low-cost carrier SalamAir, Adrian Hamilton-Manns concurs and points to the challenge it creates, particularly for carriers that are looking to grow. SalamAir is looking to add 10 more Airbus A320s as it continues on a revamp which has seen it focus back on its core low-cost narrowbody operations.

“We need to get bigger quicker. But we are not going to be able to do that for three or four years. If we were a widebody operator, which we are not, we would not be able to get widebodies until about 2032, 2023. A waiting time of six years to fulfil a business plan you are looking at today is just impossible,” he said

This inability to ramp up creates issues in meeting the wider strategic goals of states in the region. Oman, like Saudia Arabia, has a transformation and economic diversification strategy, Vision 2040, of which tourism is a key pillar.

“How do you deliver Oman’s requirements for its aviation sector, if the OEMs aren’t enabling that?” asks Hamilton-Manns. “We’ve had a very visible issue with that this year in our civil aviation authority believing both ourselves and Oman Air are not going to have aircraft available to meet the demands of travel in the summer.”

This has prompted Oman’s aviation regulator to temporarily open up the market to foreign operators to fly domestic services during the summer peak. “That’s not a reflection of SalamAir’s abilities to carry passengers, or Oman Air’s,” he adds saying It’s a reflection of manufacturing not giving airlines what they need.

Leaders also flagged the fragmented regulatory environment, particularly around sustainability.

Gulf Air chief executive Jeffery Goh, for example, says that individual regulatory bodies need to recognise the industry is international.“For instance, I look at the regulations across the world on sustainability, reductions in greenhouse emissions, requirements for sustainable aviation fuel. It’s almost a repeat of what played out in Covid 19. Every country reacted it in its own way,” he said.

Mandates have this year kicked in for airlines serving the UK and Europe have this year requiring uplift of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Jeddah-based Flyadeal launched seven years ago as a digital-only airline selling tickets via its website, though it has since also connected into online travel agents via direct connect channels.

Speaking on the sidelines of the IATA Aviation Day Middle East North Africa event in Jeddah, Flyadeal chief commercial officer Rogier Van Enk said the carrier is looking at working much more with aggregators, including the traditional GDSs. “We have active conversations now with the GDSs to see whether we want to be on their platform,” he said.

Van Enk says one of the reasons behind the move is to help power its international growth. Flyadeal is expanding rapidly and has plans to triple its 38-strong Airbus A320 fleet to more than 100 aircraft by 2030, including delivery of its first A321neos next year. Having built its presence in the Saudi domestic market, much of this growth will be on international routes.

“Our brand awareness in the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] is 95%-plus, so people know who we are. But when you go [international] not everyone knows us. So, you want to be on the shelf,” says van Enk.

The move also aims to help Flyadeal further tap into corporate travellers.

 “We see a lot of corporates already on our flights. But we want to make it easier for corporates to find us, particularly those where employees must book through a travel agency of the company,” he says.  “If we are not on those shelves, then we are going to be missing out on that demand.”

Van Enk joined Flyadeal earlier this year from Finnair, having previously headed up distribution for both the Finnish carrier and British Airways, and he points to a higher dependency on travel agents in the Middle East region.

“Trade are very important partners of airlines in the region,” he says. Flyadeal’s engagement with the travel trade has been further enabled by its recent membership of IATA and payment processing through the association’s Billing Settlement Plan.

“We have a strategy where we try to get the customer in, and once they are flying us, we are laser-focused on keeping them within our ecosystem,” he adds. “But we have a multi-channel distribution strategy. [And] we are going to do it in an LCC way.”

Van Enk says the airline will not “reinvent the wheel” and will look at existing examples where LCCs connect to a GDS. “We will probably find our own version of that,” he says.  “The main goal here is to get the lowest fares to our customers. But we also want to be on the shelves where customers can find us.”

Speaking at the IATA Aviation Day Middle East North Africa event in Jeddah on 7 May, the airline association’s senior vice-president, operations, safety & security, Nick Careen, flagged the above-average air transport growth expected in the region over the next 20 years; 4.8% average annual traffic growth in the Middle East compared with the wider industry rate of 3.3%.

“But we also need to face a reality that’s difficult for some to accept: the region is not developing evenly,” said Careen.

“The region has already proven that bold vision and strategic investment can yield extraordinary results. Now is the time to extend that spirit of co-operation beyond borders - to create partnerships that deliver benefits not just to individual states, but to the entire region.”

Alongside geopolitical instability, Careen highlights fragmentation and the lack of a harmonised aviation as impending connectivity in the region – particularly for smaller states and markets. He also flags that some small or lower-incoming countries in the Middle East have struggled with limited local demand, constrained resources and business models that cannot match the economies of scale of the super-connector airlines.

IATA is therefore calling for a more integrated approach within the region, identifying opportunities around harmonising airspace and regulations, a collective push on sustainable aviation and increased knowledge sharing.

“A Middle East united by open skies, harmonised regulations, and shared innovation would be even more competitive, more resilient, and deliver even more economic and social benefits for people,” Careen says. “And it would ensure that no country is left behind in aviation’s growth story.”

Notably Careen sees an opportunity for Saudia Arabia to play strong role in this, especially given the ambitions growth and developments in the Kingdom in line with its Vision 2030 strategy.

During the event IATA announced several training agreements with Saudi airlines, airports, and academic institutions to address critical skills needed to support the Kingdom’s growing aviation sector.

“When we talk about things that need to be focused on like collaboration global standards Saudi plays a big role in that because they are open to it,” he says, noting the association does quite a lot of work with Saudi Arabia. “It is important, because whatever happens here potentially could be leveraged out to other nations within the Middle East.”

In a keynote address at the event, president of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, said that by investing and working together “MEA can lead the next era” of global aviation. “Saudi Arabia, through GACA, stands ready to partner, collaborate and drive this shared future,” he says.

Al-Duailej underscored the progress and contribution aviation has already made, both in the region and Saudi Arabia.

“We are seeing tangible results,” he says. “By 2024 passenger traffic across the Middle East exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 9%, more than double the global growth rate, while Saudia Arabia’s civil aviation sector recorded a remarkable increase of over 24% compared to pre-pandemic.”

Growth in Saudi Arabia comes amid major investment in the sector in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 growth and transformation targets.

“At a national level, Saudi Arabia is delivering on the aviation side, not only through ambition, but through concrete actions,” he says. “As a strategic regulator, GACA’s mission is to enable growth, foster competition and ensure better services for passengers.”

 

During 2024 the number of passengers traveling through Saudi airports exceeding 128 million, the number of flights surpassing 905,000, and air cargo volumes exceeding 1.2 million tons.

The Show attracted more than 6,000 attendees, indicating overwhelming participation by all stakeholders in the industry in the wake of overall positive sentiment of growth in the aviation industry.

More than 140 exhibitors from 22 countries participated in the exhibition with the presence of over 150 buyers from over 70 organisations from 30 countries. The trade gathering hosted more than 3,500 meetings under its popular Business Connect Programme.

May Ismail, Event Manager, Airport Show, said:  “I express my deep appreciation to all our strategic partners for the great success achieved by the exhibition in its current session, and we have begun preparing from now to make the next session an exceptional one in every sense.”

The positive response from stakeholders has prompted exhibitors to participate in the next edition also.

“The Airport Show next year will be much larger with broader participation from more countries, organisations and leading players, which will translate to more business for them.  The 25th edition, expected to be more participatory and broad-based, will be held from May 12 to 14, 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre,” she added.

Several agreements were signed by the participating companies on joint ventures, collaborations and service expansion.

The Airport Show was the venue to announce the awarding of a contract by Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) to Smiths Detection to deploy state-of-the-art checkpoint scanners throughout Terminals 1, 2, and 3 of Dubai International Airport.

DAEP is the agency responsible for the design, master-planning, infrastructure development and construction of Dubai's aviation sector.

The leading annual exhibition dedicated to the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region witnessed wide participation from industry leaders and international and regional experts, in conjunction with optimistic expectations for the growth of the global aviation industry, specifically the Middle East, as the industry is expected to achieve a new record in the number of passengers and airport expansions.

The Airport Show platform was chosen by leading operators, experts and regulators to discuss issues and challenges and suggest remedial measures so that the industry players can chart their future business strategies to fully grab the growth opportunities.

The co-located events, Global Airport Leaders’ Forum (GALF) and Women in Aviation Middle East Conference, attracted more than 70 aviation leaders and expert speakers in 30 sessions.

This year’s Airport Show is opened in the wake of the Middle East and neighbouring regions experiencing a significant surge in airport expansion projects, driven by a robust recovery in global aviation and optimistic projections for passenger growth.

With expectations to handle approximately 1.1 billion passengers annually by 2040 — up from 405 million in 2019 — the Middle East is investing heavily in infrastructure to meet this demand.

The 12th Global Airport Leader’s Forum (GALF) was designed to take forward the aviation knowledge-enhancement agenda with keynote speeches from Lt. Gen. Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), HE Ahmad Ali Belqaizi, Executive Director, Aviation Safety and Environment Sector, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) Mr Abdulla Al Shamsi, Director of Engineering, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and.

This year’s new attractions include the GSE Zone, Airport Tech Pavilion, and Airport Design Hub.

The Airport Show is designed to serve the US$1 trillion airport development market in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

The Show hosted a series of high-level strategic sessions featuring top decision-makers and regional and international aviation experts. The discussions focused on bold, forward-looking solutions to address increasingly congested skies, rapid expansion, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies, smart air traffic management, the evolving role of next-generation airports as integrated logistics hubs, and the challenges of incorporating air taxis and autonomous aircraft into existing aviation ecosystems.

Participating in a presentation at GALF, Talal Al Hammadi, Vice President of Air Traffic Development at Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans), shared Dubai’s vision for adopting artificial intelligence and unified traffic systems for both manned and unmanned aviation, and highlighted the ambitious expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport as a real-world testbed for future aviation innovations.

As in the past, this year’s event enjoyed strong backing of key aviation authorities and organisations, supported by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Airports, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, Emirates Airline and Group, dans and dnata.

Airport Show 2025 in Dubai witnessed an unprecedented African presence, with official delegations, airlines, and airport operators from more than 10 African

nations presenting ambitious visions and large-scale infrastructure projects in the aviation sector, extending through 2030.

Leading industry players have come on board as event partners and sponsors. Amadeus leads as the event’s Strategic Partner, with Schneider Electric joining as Technology Partner. Gold Sponsor WAISL has joined sponsors Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans), Smiths Detection and ADB SAFEGATE.

The ATC Forum benefits from the support of both Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans) and Global Air Navigation Services (GANS), while the Airport Security Forum is backed by Dubai Police and the National Guard.

Additionally, Airport Show 2025 is collaborating with several leading associations, including the Women in Aviation Middle East Chapter, the Contractors Association, the Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG), and the Dubai Airline Operators Committee (DAOC).

Several leading companies showcased their products and processes

Ismaiel Asaad, Divisional Manager, Trading, Al-Futtaim Engineering, said the company showcased TOTO’s advanced sanitary solutions, eco-friendly sanitaryware technologies such as touchless faucets, high-efficiency toilets and advanced hygiene systems that align with modern airport demands for hygiene, comfort and sustainability.”

TOTO participated in the Airport Show in collaboration with Al-Futtaim Contracting, its authorized distributor for UAE and KSA.

Hiroyuki Higashimoto, Division Head, TOTO Middle East Branch, said: “Participating in the Airport Show provides a strategic platform for TOTO to reinforce our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and global partnerships within the aviation infrastructure sector.”

Andrew Paganelli, Director, Access Covers Australia, said: “We are excited to showcase our innovative airport infrastructure product solutions at the Airport Show. As a leading ISO-accredited global manufacturer, we are dedicated to delivering advanced, sustainable access covers, grates, and multipart solutions that enhance safety and efficiency in airport operations.”

Mohammad AlSharabi, CEO of KAMS Global, said:  “Our participation underscores our commitment to delivering scalable, culturally attuned solutions that bridge global standards with regional needs ensuring relevance across MEASA’s diverse markets.”

Haldun Aksoy, Chairman of the Board of Timsan said:  “The Airport Show is a significant opportunity to showcase our proven expertise in ground support equipment, expand its footprint in the MEASA region and develop relationships with key industry players. By offering innovative and durable GSE solutions, Timsan is reinforcing its leadership in the industry and positioning itself for continued growth in a rapidly evolving market,”

Elisabetta Bragagni, CEO of Tratos, said: “We produce cables for a moving world and its dynamism distinguishes the company. Tratos cables move shipments, activate connectivity, transmit energy, allow transporting passengers and goods by rail and keep motorways flowing. Our aim is to show this sensible and intelligent innovation to keep the world moving, safely and efficiently in airport and in all connected services.”

Sage Parts displayed its product sheets showcasing its Rmptech product range, proven To Last Longer and Perform Better for GSE.

Iftekhar Ahmed, General Manager Sales( UAE+GCC), Eternity Technologies, said: “We have showcased our Quasar Motive Power Range, manufactured in the UAE, which incorporates CNT (Carbon Nanotube) Technology for enhanced performance.”

Jean Pierre Nathan, International Business Development Manager at FAST Global Solutions, said: “With our growing position in the Middle East market, our visibility at this event is critical—not just for reinforcing relationships with existing accounts, but also for developing new ones. This region is experiencing significant growth in the aviation industry, and it’s vital that our customers see us actively engaged.”

M-ECS showcased its zero-emission, high-powered tractors and presented it electric GSE lineup — the TT22e, TT30e, and TT40e tractors — delivering unparalleled performance with groundbreaking battery life, remote monitoring, and real- time diagnostic capabilities.”

“We aim at supporting our customers to run greener, more efficient ground operations through innovation, automation and enhanced data analyses,” said a spokesperson of M-ECS.

Moh’d Moh’d, CEO, AEDLER Logistik Solutions, said: “We are here to deepen our partnerships, showcase our engineering capabilities, and explore new collaborations that drive smarter solutions, more sustainable airport operations. This directly aligns with our long-term vision to lead the evolution of integrated air cargo, material handling and storage automation within the aviation industry, supporting airports in optimising throughput, efficiency, and mainly handling experience. Our focus is on intelligent design, innovation-driven solutions, and sustainable growth in a rapidly changing global landscape.”

The event drew wide regional and international participation and served as a dynamic platform to share experiences and celebrate female achievements.

In his keynote speech, H.E. Sheikh Salem bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation in Ras Al Khaimah, praised the UAE’s leadership for placing women's empowerment at the heart of national development strategies.

“Today, Emirati women hold senior positions, contribute to aircraft engineering and operations management, and represent 42% of the aviation workforce—an unprecedented achievement in the region,” he said.

Mervat Sultan, Founder and President of the Middle East Chapter of Women in Aviation International, said: “Today’s celebration is not only about what has been achieved, but about what lies ahead—ambitions, challenges, and new paths. We’re not just asking for representation; we’re demanding meaningful participation—in innovation, in decision-making, in labs, cockpits, and boardrooms.”

She stressed that progress is not measured solely by numbers, but by community depth and impact.

“Slow progress is sometimes the most enduring. Last year, we had about 250 participants. This year, attendance has more than doubled—not just in the hall, but throughout the professional ecosystem. Government and private sector support confirms we’re on the right track.,” she said. 

Training Opportunities and Targeted Support

Sultan also announced the launch of a fully funded EASA ATPL scholarship, along with free aviation fundamentals training and a specialised programme on emotional intelligence for pilots, in collaboration with Airman Ground.

“These initiatives respond to real market needs and aspirations that can no longer be postponed,” she said.

“We maintain the same award categories every year, but 2025 was especially inspiring. Captain Samran Omran, the first Arab woman to fly transatlantic routes from Jordan to the U.S. in the 1980s, is a symbol of persistence. We also honoured figures like Dr. Nadine Itani, a trusted aviation expert for global media, and institutions such as the International Aviation Academy and Al Jazeera Aviation Club in Ras Al Khaimah—clear signs that meaningful change is happening.”

Her message to aspiring women in the industry emphasised professionalism above all.

“In aviation, dreams alone are not enough. Success relies on respecting time and structure. A two-minute delay doesn’t just affect your flight—it affects dozens behind you. Aviation teaches you that safety and discipline are everything.” 

The conference concluded with a celebration honouring Dr. Suaad Al Shamsi with the Women in Aviation Leadership Award, Aya Sader with the Innovation Award, and Dr. Nadine Itani with the title of "Most Influential Woman in Aviation."

Khalifa University and Al Jazeera Aviation Club were also recognised for their significant contributions to training and institutional empowerment.

Sultan concluded: “You don’t need permission to dream. You are enough. Your place in aviation’s sky is not up for debate—it was written among the clouds long ago.”

A strategic partnership with the African Drone Forum (ADF) – Africa’s largest platform for drone professionals, startups, policymakers, and national drone ecosystem leaders – will enhance this year’s summit.

On Day 2, the ADF will host a dedicated symposium at the Insight Theatre within the main exhibition hall. This session will provide detailed analysis and discussions, highlighting the vast opportunities within the drone sector and how Africa’s aviation industry can strategically benefit.

“This is a great addition to the whole Aviation Africa week,” said summit chairman Alan Peaford. “It is also very appropriate that we are in Rwanda where the world first saw Zipline operating medical delivery drones in shared airspace thanks to the forward thinking of the country’s civil aviation authority.

“As more of these activities spread across the continent it is a great opportunity for regulators across the region to meet and share ideas to help keep Africa at the forefront of knowledge of real operations for uncrewed aircraft.”

Several exhibitors from the sector will be taking space at the Aviation Africa event.

The main stage session, ‘Africa’s Low-Altitude Drone Economy: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Investment, and Infrastructure’ moderated by Eno Umoh, co-founder of Global Air U and the Global Air Drone Academy, will feature key manufacturers, financiers, investors, and operators. It will explore topics such as Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, regulatory approaches by various African Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA’s), and case studies from proof-of-concept drone corridors.

The session will offer a deep dive into ‘Beyond Visual Line of Sight’ operations—what’s possible today, what’s holding us back, and how different CAAs are approaching risk, permissions, and proof-of-concept corridors.

Aviation Africa also anticipate potential live demonstrations of eVTOL aircraft at the event.