Rwanda to host Aviation Africa 2019 conference

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Rwanda will host the Aviation Africa 2019 Conference and Exhibition from February 27-28 in Kigali with 100 global aviation companies expected to be represented at the event, an official source confirmed Monday to PANA in Kigali. Director General. Rwanda Civil Aviation, Silas Udahemuka, revealed that more than 700 international and regional aviation personalities, air traffic experts and representatives of 118 airlines and bodies specialized in various civil aviation fields around the world are expected to attend the event. The 2019 edition will take place for the second time in Kigali, Rwanda, with a two-day high-level summit alongside an exhibition featuring over 700 aerospace companies, the senior Rwandan official said. Last year's edition of the event was hosted by Egypt while Rwanda first hosted the gathering in 2017, it said. The conference is being organised at a time the African Union (AU) Commission has set the target to have at least 40 member states join the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) by the end of 2019. Currently, 28 member states are in the market, covering more than 700 million persons, reports said. The successful establishment and operationalization of the SAATM is vital to achieve AU's long-term vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, in line with the blueprint for an Integrated Approach to Implement Agenda 2063, it said. -0- PANA TWA/VAO 25Feb2019