By Mohamed Attia
The Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation hosted the activities of the 71st session of the African Airports Council (ACI) Conference and Exhibition, under the title “Airports: A Locomotive for Social, Economic and Sustainable Development”, which is scheduled to be held until March 1st, with the participation of 400 members representing airports and international organisations from 52 African countries, under the patronage of Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli.
Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Abbas Helmy pointed out that Egypt’s hosting of the conference in its current session confirms the confidence of African aviation organizations in its role in supporting regional and continental co-operation in the field of air transport. Choosing Cairo to host the conference is a promising opportunity for the participating delegations to visit the historical and archaeological landmarks in it, especially in light of the development boom that the Egyptian state is witnessing in all fields, and what the civil aviation sector is witnessing in terms of development work in Egyptian airports to keep pace with the successive increase in the number of passengers on the African continent.
The Minister of Civil Aviation stressed the importance of the conference, which is a global co-operative platform that includes experts, policymakers and specialists in the field of aviation in order to exchange experiences and visions and present the best practices of airports in African countries, and develop an integrated strategy that contributes to formulating policies and identifying the latest means of aviation technology, to keep pace with the rapid developments in the field of Air transport industry .. In addition to improving the level of services provided to passengers to make their travel experience more comfortable and luxurious.
The International Airports Council, Africa Region, had launched the official website for the ACI Africa Conference and Exhibition.
The website published the welcome speech by Engineer Mohamed Saeed Mahrous, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation, in a tradition followed by the International Airports Council when countries host these meetings.
Mahrous’ speech included welcoming the conference guests to Cairo, especially since these meetings come with passenger traffic reaching record levels, in addition to the rapid development in the field of airports, which has become an international phenomenon and not just a capital-intensive investment.
The Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation also announced the slogan of the ACI Conference and Exhibition this year (Cairo 2024), to link between ancient and modern Egyptian civilisation under the name “Airports: A Locomotive for Sustainable Economic and Social Development”, as a symbol of the major role played by Egyptian airports in economic development and the modern renaissance of the state.
The conference working sessions will address the strategic importance of airports as pillars of economic and social development and sustainable development, the role of airports in achieving sustainability in the face of financial challenges, infrastructure development, capacity building and social inclusion, with the promotion of social and economic development of countries and long-term commitment to achieving sustainability.
The conference also discusses investment in airport infrastructure as a central issue for the global economy, especially in the event that governments are unable to bear the cost of investment to keep pace with the expected growth in air traffic, and the obstacles facing the aviation sector in the African continent. Efforts to meet the requirements of air traffic in the African continent in the future, taking into account that the design, construction and operation of new projects are in line with economic sustainability and include environmental and social responsibility.
About 40 speakers will participate in the conference sessions on the establishment of airports to serve development projects as centers for trade and transportation of passengers and goods from all over the world, in addition to the role of airports as one of the tourism catalysts. The exhibition is a distinguished event that brings together industry experts in the field of airport development who keep pace with the most prominent global developments and international developments in civil aviation.
According to the Holding Company for Airports, the total number of exhibitors participating is about 30 exhibitors from the countries participating in the conference, in addition to Egyptian companies concerned with airports, with full organisation and coordination under the supervision of Captain Khaled Al-Alfi, Assistant Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation and the Official of the Organising Committee for the 2024 ACI AFRICA African Regional Conference.
