Representatives from 32 African countries pledged to drive the transformation of air transport on the continent, with special emphasis on digitalisation, inclusiveness and strengthening services, during the Regional Facilitation Forum organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Cameroon.
The meeting, held in Yaoundé under the patronage of Cameroonian President Paul Biya, brought together authorities from civil aviation, customs, migration, law enforcement, health, as well as operators and regulators of the sector. Among the issues discussed were the care of air accident victims, improving accessibility for people with disabilities and the need to strengthen regional networks.
ICAO forecasts that air traffic in Africa will grow above the global average until 2050, reinforcing the urgency of modernising the sector. In this context, Juan Carlos Salazar, the agency's secretary general, stressed the importance of aligning African priorities with the discussions of the Global Facilitation Symposium to be held in April, the roadmap for which will be presented at the next ICAO Assembly in September.
During his visit to Yaoundé, Salazar held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Cameroon, Joseph Dion Ngute, in which strategic projects such as the improvement of operational security, the implementation of the Public Key Directory (PKD) and the development of key infrastructures were discussed. He also inaugurated the new Search and Rescue Centre in the capital, visited the civil aviation training centre and toured travel document production facilities.
Source: a21.com.mx 07/04/2025