Wings of Change Focus Africa to address resilience and sustainability

29.05.2024 - 13:07 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou

The second edition of Wings of Change Focus Africa aims to strengthen African aviation’s economic and social contributions, focusing on enhancing safety, security, and sustainability in Johannesburg on July 2-3, 2024.

GENEVA – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the Wings of Change Focus Africa Conference (WOCFA) will return for its second edition under the theme “Towards a More Resilient and Sustainable African Aviation”. WOCFA is taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 2-3 July 2024 with South African Airways as the host airline.

WOCFA will delve into priorities under IATA’s Focus Africa initiative to strengthen aviation’s contribution to the continent’s economic and social development, along with improving connectivity, safety and reliability for passengers and shippers.

“Africa’s aviation market holds immense untapped potential, with expectations for traffic to double in the next 15 years. The Focus Africa Initiative has identified key priorities that, if addressed collaboratively and effectively, will bolster Africa’s aviation industry and enhance its socio-economic impact. A year into the Focus Africa Initiative, we have seen progress in areas such as safety, but there is still a long way to go. This year’s IATA’s Wings of Change Focus Africa Conference builds on this progress by addressing critical areas such as safety, security, sustainability, economic development, and the overall resilience of the industry,” said Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice-President for Africa and the Middle East.

Professor Malesela John Lamola, Chief Executive Officer of South African Airways will deliver an Opening Keynote Address.

“We are delighted to host IATA’s Wings of Change Focus Africa Conference and welcome the aviation industry to our home, Johannesburg. Advancing the air transport industry is critical for Africa’s economic growth. The conference will allow industry leaders to join forces and drive the agenda for a stronger, more resilient African aviation industry,” said Lamola.

Lamola and Alawadhi will be joined by industry leaders from the various areas of aviation in addressing the event, including session tracks on topics such as:

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.