Page 17 - LUA July - August 2023 Magterz and Online
P. 17
INTERVIEW
SAATM is the way
FORWARD
Reliable regulatory frameworks vital for private sector financing of African airports, says
Emmanuel Chaves, President of Airport Council Africa (ACI) Africa, in an interview to Roy Ezze.
? The airports and aviation industry economy unfortunately continues to face
have remarkably recovered and this
a number of challenges in 2023. From
trend is expected to continue in 2023 and the never-ending conflict in Ukraine to
2024, in what ways would you say a looming economic slowdown in many
African airports and travelers have major economies, including in Africa, the
benefitted from this recovery? risks are, sadly, more than ever present to
Allow me to shed light first of all on the disrupt the current encouraging pace of
potential recovery of our industry as the recovery from the pandemic, with the
we are not there yet. It is true that, with greatest economic threat being that of the
the removal of travel restrictions and significant increase in inflation.
quarantine requirements for vaccinated As aviation is very much linked to such
travellers in 2022, there has been an macroeconomic factors, the impact of prices
upsurge in demand across many markets, and disposable income remain important
including in Africa, as evidenced by the determinants of air transport demand. Thus,
air traffic figures. uncertainty regarding a swift recovery of
As the Covid-19 pandemic shaped the aviation industry remains
many near-term policy decisions omnipresent,
over the last three especially in the
years, the global near term.
JULY - AUGUST 2023 LUA 15
