The Head of State Paul Kagame told participants in the “Aviation Africa 2017 Conference” held in Kigali that Rwanda has better understood what it takes to succeed in aviation business. He said that Rwanda keeps expanding its route network in Africa, and beyond. The investments in infrastructures such as upgrading Kigali International Airport, and building the new Bugesera International Airport are among the key initiatives undertaken in this regard, he said.
President Kagame said ‘Rwanda has stepped up efforts towards the creation of a single African air transport market, by fully opening up our skies, and working actively with partner states, to do the same.
Kagame said that both Rwanda and Africa will be benefiting more from the removal of barriers related to air transport.
“Removing barriers is imperative, but not enough. We also need to build expertise and capacity, in different aspects of the aviation industry.” he said.
“When our skies are closed, it is harder to make air transport safer, more reliable, and more affordable. The growth of the mega-businesses, which depend on a vibrant aviation sector, is also considerably slowed, hurting all of us” President Kagame added.
This two day summit is attended by 550 participants and are from 58 nations.
Below is the full speech of His Excellence Paul Kagame:
- Excellency, Paul Kaba Thieba, Prime Minister of the Republic of Burkina Faso
- Honourable Ministers and Senior Officials
- Air Force Chiefs
- Mr Abdullah Al-Sayed, Founder and Chairman of NEXUS
- Mr Alan Peaford, Editor-in-Chief of Times Aerospace
- Business Leaders & Distinguished Delegates
- Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning.
Allow me to warmly welcome all of you, to Rwanda.
For those of you visiting for the first time, I hope your schedule will permit you, to get to know what our country has to offer, even beyond Kigali.
This is an exciting time for our country, and our continent, as we see new networks and capabilities beginning to take shape, which bring us closer to the prosperous future, that our people want, and deserve.
I wish to acknowledge our partners for this landmark event, Times Aerospace, Access Group, and NEXUS, along with all the sponsors and exhibitors.
This is the first Aviation Africa Conference to take place on our continent, and it comes fifteen years after44 members of the African Union, committed to deregulate air services, and promote competitive regional aviation markets.
Rwanda has stepped up efforts towards the creation of a single African air transport market, by fully opening up our skies, and working actively with partner states, to do the same.
However, the Yamoussoukro Decision still needs to be fully implemented, and Africa remains more connected with other continents, than it is internally.
When our skies are closed, it is harder to make air transport safer, more reliable, and more affordable. The growth of the mega-businesses, which depend on a vibrant aviation sector, is also considerably slowed, hurting all of us.
As we work to expand regional transportation and digital networks, we must do the same with air transport, if we want to increase tourism, trade, and investment within Africa, and with the rest of the world.
However, we remain enthusiastic about the renewed focus, on the growth of aviation in Africa.
We hope that in the near future, when a passenger in Africa transits through a city outside the continent, in order to reach another African city, it will not be out of necessity, but by choice.
Removing barriers is imperative, but not enough. We also need to build expertise and capacity, in different aspects of the aviation industry.
The brand quality of African airlines rests on excellent service and comfort, an impeccable safety record, good corporate governance, as well as integrating the latest technology.
We must consistently exceed expectations, in order to compete globally.
An additional plus, is the opportunity to leverage our favourable demographic dividend. We want to see many young Rwandans and Africans pursuing careers in aviation, as pilots, engineers, designers, or business analysts.
Finally, innovation is critical to ensure sustainability. While some legacy national carriers are no longer in business, new players continue to join the market.
We in Rwanda experimented with different business models, before creating RwandAir. Along the way, we gained a better understanding of what it takes, to succeed in this business.
For example, the aviation sector extends beyond the airlines, to include the full range of associated services, represented by many of you gathered here, such as airport management, cargo handling, catering, training, logistics, and maintenance.
RwandAir continues to expand its route network in Africa, and beyond. We are investing in infrastructure, including upgrading Kigali International Airport, and building the new Bugesera International Airport.
At the same time, we are working with others across Africa, to create a more conducive environment, for private sector investment in the industry, more generally.
This is why it is important, that the Aviation Africa Conference become a regular event in the years ahead, at which the partner ships that Africa needs, can be forged and deepened.
In Rwanda, we are very happy to work closely with you going forward, as hosts and collaborators.
The challenges facing our continent are well-known, but the enormous potential here, is just as obvious.
By working together, with a welcoming spirit, and a sense of urgency for Africa to keep getting better, we can all do our part, to keep things moving in the right direction.
I thank you, and wish you a productive conference.
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UM– USEKE.RW
