Aviation Africa to host CAA Director Generals and airline heads in Kigali

Colonel Silas Udahemuka - director general, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority will be hosting VIP guests including the Director General of Togo Civil Aviation Authority, Latta Dokisime Gnama & Simon Allotey, director general of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority.

Joining the CAA delegates will also be FAA executive Director International Affairs,Chris Rochereau, and FAA Director Africa, Grady Stone.

From Benin Civil Aviation Authority, Karl Legba Director General and Nathalie Houndeton, Directrice, will also be attending.

Representing the defence industry Major General Charles Karamba, Chief of Staff, Rwandan Defence Force will host Général de Brigade Souleymane BAMBA and Colonel Siaka SOUNTOURA de from the Mali Air Force.

Speakers will take to the stage including those from the defence, MRO, Space and Airline industries across the two days.

Some of the speakers include: 

H.E. Faure Gnassingbe - President of the Tongolese Republic, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States

Tefera Mekonnen Tefera, Secretary General, AFCAC

Abdullah Al-Sayed - President & CEO, NEXUS Group

Boni Dibate, Director Africa Affairs, CANSO

Barry Kashambo - Regional Director Eastern & Southern Africa, ICAO

Dr Adriana Marais - Head of Innovation SAP Africa, Director, South Africa Space Foundation

H.E. Akbar Al Baker - CEO Qatar Airways, Chairman IATA

Abderahmane Berthe - Secretary General, African Airlines Association

Sanjeev Gadhia - CEO, Astral Aviation

Rolland Besoa Razafimaharo - Directeur General, Air Madagascar

Ladislaus Matindi, CEO, Air Tanzania

Yvonne Manzi Makolo - CEO, RwandAir

Vincenzo De Laurentis - CEO & General Manager, EU Wings

Richard Haas - VP Africa, Lufthansa Technik

Rahul Shah - Senior VP - Strategic Growth & BD Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, AAR 

The event - which is run by Times Aerospace - began in Dubai four years ago. The UAE was selected because of its hub status and ease of visa rulings. This is a philosophy shared by Rwanda, which offers a visa-free entry to African countries and entry on arrival to others, said Times Aerospace managing director Mark Brown. "The beauty of this means that we have visitors, speakers, exhibitors and key government delegations coming from all over Africa," he said

Aviation Africa features an exhibition alongside the summit with 100 aerospace companies including OEMs Gulfstream, Boeing and Bombardier alongside African exhibitors such as SP Aviation and Bugasera Airport Company. The event’s host sponsors are Nexus & Wyvern. Over 800 delegates are expected to attend the 4th Aviation Africa.

Aviation Africa is supported by the Government of Rwanda, Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, Rwanda Development Board and the Rwanda Defence Force and the official airline is Rwandair.

The event is being heavily supported by the big names of the industry. Host sponsors are Nexus and Wyvern with Gulfstream as a platinum sponsor. Gold sponsor is Airbus, with Rolls-Royce, Boeing and Embraer as silver sponsors.

Air BP, SP Aviation, Bestfly, Bugesara Airport Company, Dassault and Skyplan are all bronze sponsors. 

Supporting sponsors include TP Aerospace, Nedbank  and Akagera Aviation

Rolland Besoa Razafimaharo - Directeur General, Air Madagascar