Col. Chance Ndagano
The Africa Airlines Association has appointed former Air Burkina Boss as the new Secretary General (SG) taking over a hard task of ensuring African aviation business remains relevant.
Abdulrahman Barte replaces Dr. Elijah Chingosho whose term ended with this year’s 49th General Assembly held in Kigali from November 12- 14.
Also in the appointments was the new AFRAA President, Abdelhamid Addou replacing Rwandair’s Col. Chance Ndagano, and other committee members including Chairman of Executive committee.
However, Col Ndagano retained another position at AFRAA as the first vice chairman of the executive committee and also representative of AFRAA Eastern region.
New SG Barte is former CEO of Air Burkina. In his remarks he said its great honor and responsibility to take office and glad on this appointment in country of a thousand hill and making important strides in aviation.
“It’s an honour follow steps of Dr. Elijah, 45 years ago I was fascinated by take-off and landing of planes in Bamako, Mali. I served in aviation for 16 years and I know how hard it is, this office requires determination. The history of aviation has come with challenges,” Barte said.
Chingosho said it was a great honor to serve Africa aviation sector and he looked forward to seeing the sector becoming self-reliant.
On Tuesday, the CEO of Rwandair Col. Chance Ndagano also announced Monica Ramchandani as the lucky winner of 2017 AFRAA49 raffle prize (worth USD1500) of complimentary access to Volcanoes National Park to see the endangered mountain gorillas for a whole year.
According to statistics, African airlines made a net loss of $700million in 2015 and followed by another loss of $100million in 2016 and this year the same results are expected, according to AFRAA officials.
However, some experts have suggested on cutting costs by venturing in profitable airline routes within Africa instead of long distances in Europe at a time when Airbus has developed A320-Neo aircraft series ideal for Africa with ability to cut 10 percent less fuel used on continental trips.
“Low cost carrier model might not work with many African city pairs, the traffic is just not there. What are African states waiting for anyway? Open up the skies already,” Raphael Kuchi Vice-President, International Air Transport Association of (IATA) said.
The next 50th AFRAA general assembly will be held in Rabat Morocco, in 2018.
In the meantime, the Single Africa Air Transport Market is expected to be launched in January 2018 at the Heads of States Summit at the African Union.
