AeroWest 2026 targets strategic fixes for West African air transport

….opens registration for advancement of aviation development

The aviation and travel industry has been energized by the launch of registration for AeroWest 2026, a premier West & Central African Aviation Summit & Exhibition aimed at addressing the region’s most critical air transport challenges and mapping out a path toward sustainable connectivity and growth.

The event is scheduled to take place from September 2–4, 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Organized by Jet Afrique Aviation Services Limited in partnership with the West Africa Tourism Organisation (WATO), AeroWest 2026 will convene a diverse group of stakeholders including airlines, airport authorities, aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), lessors, financiers, aviation associations, policymakers, regulators, and travel industry players—to foster meaningful dialogue and drive actionable outcomes.

Speaking at the announcement, Theodore Chikelu, Chief Executive Officer of Jet Afrique Aviation Services Limited, noted: “For too long, Africa’s aviation industry particularly in West and Central Africa has been caught in prolonged discussions with limited tangible results. AeroWest 2026 is focused on shifting from dialogue to delivery. It provides a platform for collaboration, innovation, and practical solutions that will redefine the region’s aviation landscape. Anyone committed to the future of air transport in Africa should be part of it.”

Also speaking, Ola Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the West Africa Tourism Organisation (WATO), highlighted the summit’s strong alignment with WATO’s broader goal of advancing regional integration and cooperation.

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“AeroWest 2026 forms a key component of WATO’s West Africa Integrated Travel (WAIT) initiative, which aims to promote seamless mobility, trade, and tourism across West and Central Africa. Aviation is the backbone of that vision without efficient air connectivity, we cannot unlock the full potential of intra-African travel. AeroWest will help bridge that gap and drive real, sustainable progress” said Wright.

The AeroWest 2026 Summit will feature plenary sessions, policy round-tables, B2B exhibitions, and investment forums, creating opportunities for partnerships, technology transfer, and capacity-building across the aviation value chain.

With the theme “Connecting West & Central Africa: From Vision to Action,” the summit will spotlight issues such as aviation finance and leasing, safety and insurance, regulatory harmonization, sustainable aviation, MRO development, and the impact of air transport on AfCFTA’s success.

The organizers are calling on governments, private sector operators, international development agencies, and global aviation leaders to participate actively in this trans-formative event, which will serve as the definitive platform for driving tangible change in the region’s aviation industry.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.