Kigali,1-3^rd December 2021- Rwanda to host the 33rd Plenary session of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) for the first time.

Presided over by the President of the Republic of Rwanda His Excellency Paul KAGAME, the 3day triennial plenary brought together delegates from the 55 African Member States, the African Union Commission, Civil Aviation State Ministers, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and other high ranking decision-makers in the global aviation industry. The deliberations will decide on crucial matters affecting the Commission and the African civil aviation industry in the areas of safety, security, sustainable development of air transport in Africa, the Yamoussoukro Decision, and the Single African Air Transport Market.

Over 200 delegates attended this meeting both in person and virtually. This plenary meets on a tri-annual basis to review the progress of its established goals and plan for the next three years. It is expected that during this session, Member States will elect AU representatives to the ICAO Council, elect a new bureau for the next three (3) years, and submit a tri-annual report on the state of implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision and Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government through the Executive Council.

The delegates include the Ministers in charge of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Togo and DRC, dignitaries from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), delegates from Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Arab Civil Aviation Commission, European Civil Aviation Conference, Latin American Civil Aviation Commission, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, USA Federal Aviation Administration, representatives from UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and African Civil Aviation Authorities.

 Africa also has a booming tourism industry that needs support from the aviation sector and the emergence of e-commerce has brought even higher demand on cargo operations.  ICAO data indicate that the world's total number of passengers had declined by 60% in 2020 and is expected to reach 50% in 2021 compared to pre-covid numbers in 2019. Furthermore, in 2020, passenger revenue losses for African Airlines were estimated at 10.2 billion USD and the projections for 2021 are estimated to reach 8.2 billion USD. This situation requires significant support to the airline industry by Governments. Minister Claver noted.

The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) is a specialized agency of the African Union mandated to oversee matters related to aviation across Africa since 1978. It was fully established and began functioning in 1969.