This is how technology will transform aviation in Africa

Players in the global aviation industry have decried the infrastructure gaps at airports in Africa but say technology adoption would address the challenges.

Musa Nuhu, director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said that the Nigerian aviation industry faced challenges pre-Covid-19, but the outbreak of the pandemic had exposed the problems in the sector in Nigeria.

Participants at the one-day workshop organised by NCAA in conjunction with the Aviation Strategies International (ASI) Institute and Egis with the theme: ‘Global Megatrends and Impact on Aviation Workshop,’ on Wednesday noted that infrastructure gaps on the continent needed urgent addressing.

They, however, said that for the challenges to be properly addressed, Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) in Africa needed to drive the change through technology.

Pierre Coutu, president of ASI Institute in his paper: ‘Global Megatrends in Aviation,’ said that the aviation industry faces one of the most stringent periods in the world, courtesy of the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

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Coutu stated that players in the sector needed to bring out the businesses in the industry to be ready for the future and called on the stakeholders to develop some areas to ensure compliance with global practices.

He mentioned climate change, global economic power shift, demographic changes, new technology and global connectedness as some of the current global megatrends that may define the future of the industry.

He added that “there are more networks and communications, which seek to connect the world than in the past. This leads to things happening so fast in the world. According to IBM 2016 Study, 90 per cent of data in the world had been created in the previous two years alone.

“Scientists say the frequency of pandemics might increase in the future. Covid-19 pandemic was not the first pandemic ever. Aviation organisations need to plan to reduce such impacts in the sector in the future.”

For the sector to succeed another pandemic, Coutu canvassed for scenario planning, adoption of future-wise strategic management, competency-based human capital, data analysis, risk analysis, partnership-based organisation and agile organisation culture, stressing that in this era, no organization could stand alone without the supports of the others.

Jean-Marc Trottier, in his paper, ‘Planning for a Turbulent Future,’ said that climate change would affect the African aviation industry.

Trottier explained that the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic would make investors and lenders to view aviation investments through a different lens.

Besides, Nuhu in his address observed that the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic had created the need to urgently accelerate growth in the industry globally and ensure the needed changes.

Nuhu explained that it had become paramount for players in the industry to develop strategies that would lead to development.

He noted that technology was an ongoing issue, which a lot of the airlines had keyed into, but noted that for the agencies, such changes would be a bit difficult because of regulations.

He emphasised that unlike in some CAAs on the continent, NCAA does not receive subvention from the Federal Government, stating that 80 per cent of its revenues are from the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).

“We can’t go back to the way the aviation industry was being run before the advent of Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has given us the opportunity to reset the sector,” he added.